Stress management isn't about using breathing or relaxation techniques when you're feeling anxious.
While this is important, the point lies elsewhere. Basically, stress management is a certain attitude and lifestyle [1].
Here is a test I created for you to assess whether your lifestyle protects you from the harmful effects of stress.
Below, there are five statements. Answer yes or no:
1. Most of the time, when I am engaged in some activity (for example, communicating with a colleague, or listening to a presentation), I try to focus 100 percent on what I am doing and not to be distracted.
2. When a thought pops into my head (especially an unpleasant one), I usually ask myself how much this thought really describes the situation I am experiencing.
3. I usually listen to the other person as attentively as I would listen to my own thoughts when solving a problem in my head.
4. I spend at least five minutes daily on non-judgmental observation of my breath and body experiences.
5. When I ask myself what gives me meaning in life, I can quickly name several sources of meaning.
If you answered YES to at least three statements, it means you live in a way that helps you experience less stress. And if the stress does arise, you understand and accept its place in life.
If you answered NO to at least three statements, it means you risk experiencing more stress in your life than usual. Even if you can deal with stress at a certain moment, you likely experience stress more often than you would like to.
So, as you can see, being able to deal with stress is not only necessary while using various interventions but also preventively. I.e., living your life in such a way that stress is just one of the many experiences you go through and not the basis of life.
What impact, do you think,stress has on your work and personal life?
[1] McKeown, G. (2015, August 11). Reduce Your Stress in Two Minutes a Day. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2013/11/reduce-your-stress-in-two-minutes-a-day
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