The Art Of Building Resilience To Everyday Stress

It is becoming more and more difficult to resist the daily pressures, when we want to balance work, family, and other obligations, it all becomes too stressful. Our bodies, sometimes simply cannot keep up with the tension, great expectations, and changes that surprise us at every turn step. This pressure turns into stress, which leads to feelings of helplessness. Some sources state that 70-80% of patients who should visit a doctor due to medical conditions have stress in their background. Let’s explore how you can strengthen your resistance to stress and get tough skin.

Can you avoid stress?

Yes, but the reality is that while we can control some aspects of our lives, it’s often challenging to avoid unexpected events and tensions. Dr. Holmes asserts that the most stressful events include:

• Loss of a person (e.g. death of a partner, close relative, divorce and separation, unresolved conflicts)
• Change of lifestyle (Pregnancy, moving, marriage, retirement, change of job)
• Loss of a sense of security (Illness, physical injury, financial debt, job loss, sexual problems)
• Excessive expectations (from employers, change of job position, high expectations from family members)

If we contemplate it, such situations are inevitable in our lives. Stress will always be a part of our lives; what we can change is our perspective towards it. Rather than viewing stress as a threat to our health and well-being, we can start seeing it as a force that empowers us, providing strength and energy to overcome severe adversity. It’s crucial to experiment with strategies and discover how we can navigate through these challenging situations effectively.

Let’s be honest, oftentimes, we contribute to the stressful atmosphere ourselves. We tend to create worries in our minds, whether it’s fretting about the future, concerns for our children, or dwelling on past events and traumas.

Make it your goal to develop stress management strategies that will help you find balance. People are most likely to fall into bad habits when they’re stressed, turning to them as a way to “call for help” or seek solace. More on that shortly.

Stress doesn’t necessarily have to be negative…

When discussing stress, we often focus solely on its negative aspects, but the fact is that stress can be beneficial and even positive in some cases. Positive stress is also known as “eustress.” The release of adrenaline contributes to fighting bacterial and viral infections in the body. It increases our heart rate, sharpens cognitive functions, and dilates pupils. All these positive effects of stress help us concentrate and respond to our environment.

For instance, imagine you have an important presentation at work. It represents a significant challenge that can induce stress, but this stress also motivates you to put more effort into preparation. Some studies indicate that moderate levels of stress in such situations improve cognitive abilities and productivity.

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Positive stress can also be present in the following situations:

• When facing new opportunities and challenges, whether in school, career, or personal life, we may experience positive stress that motivates us to learn and grow.
• Events such as weddings, childbirth, or moving to a new environment can bring positive stress as they encourage adaptation and bring feelings of happiness and satisfaction.
• In creative endeavors such as writing, drawing, or music, we may also experience positive stress as it prompts us to express and explore.
• We must not overlook sports activities, as stress encourages us to persevere, improve physical fitness, and achieve goals.

How to cope with everyday stress

Dr. McGonigal wrote in her book: The best way to manage stress is not to reduce it or avoid it, but to rethink it and even accept it.

“Stress acts as an accelerator: it will push you either forward or backward, but you choose which direction.”

―Chelsea Erieau

Identify the source of stress

A stressful situation consists of a stressful event, our thoughts about this event, and our response to it. Pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The main factors that create a stressful environment have been listed above, but they are not necessarily the only ones. Perhaps you can find the problem in your habits. Let’s take an example: If you notice that you always arrange things before the deadline, then you feel under pressure. Herein may lie the problem with the procrastination habit.

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You can track your record to help:

• Write down the date, time, and place of the stressful situation
• What were you doing, who was next to you?
• How did you feel?
• What were you thinking?
• How your body reacted (sweating, increased heart rate)
• What have you been doing?

In this way, you can determine what specifically causes stress for you, how you react in such situations, and what strategies you can employ to manage them.

Dr. Joe Dispenza emphasizes the detrimental effects of living under the influence of stress hormones. He suggests that during periods of heightened stress, it becomes challenging to be creative, open-hearted, or receptive to learning. Stressful environments and negative attitudes can significantly impact our health, as Dr. Dispenza illustrates through various examples.

For instance, chronic stress has been linked to an array of health issues such as high blood pressure, weakened immune system, digestive problems, and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Additionally, when individuals are constantly in a state of stress, their cognitive functions may suffer, impairing their ability to focus, problem-solve, and retain information effectively.

Furthermore, Dr. Dispenza often discusses how negative emotions and thought patterns can contribute to the manifestation of physical ailments. For instance, holding onto resentment, anger, or fear can create imbalances within the body and compromise overall well-being. He often illustrates this concept by sharing stories of individuals who have experienced profound healing by shifting their mindset and emotional state.

Create your relaxation exercises

• Movement
• Breathing exercises – deep breathing
• Meditation
• A walk
• Relaxing music
• Positive self-talk
• Talk to someone you trust
• Find time for yourself
• Get away from technology
• Pray
• Spend time in nature
• Yoga
• Tai chi
• Take time for your hobbies (knitting, singing, playing an instrument)
• Change your diet
• Relax your muscles (bath, massage, stretching, good sleep)

Give up bad habits that are related to dealing with stress

Many people fall into unhealthy and unproductive habits when they are under stress. They believe they will find safety and comfort, but we know that in the long run, this does not yield positive effects; at most, it is harmful.

We are talking about

• Drugs, smoking, excessive coffee drinking
• Overeating with fast food
• A lot of time is spent in front of TV, video games, social networks, pornography, etc.
• Withdrawal from family and loved ones
• Too much sleep
• Transferring your stress to others around you (outbursts of anger, irritability, violence)

Think about what you tend to resort to and what impact it has in the long run. And rather adopt habits or methods that will bring you benefits.

Avoid unnecessary stress

It is true that some stressful factors are beyond our control. However, there are certainly some that we can influence. One of these is worrying about the past, other people’s actions, and fearing upcoming events. Avoid unnecessarily harming yourself; focus on the present. Take on only as much work as you can handle. Surround yourself with people who positively influence you. Learn to say NO when you feel overwhelmed.

Adapt to stressful situations

Take control of your mind. Instead of becoming unnecessarily angry, turn the situation into something positive. Rather than accumulating more and more anger, allow yourself to remain positive. How many times do we burden ourselves unnecessarily, even though we have no influence on the actual situation? For example: being stuck in a crowded store, in traffic, or at the doctor’s office. But ultimately, we still have to wait and practice patience. What are your thoughts?

Accept the fact that you have no control over some things. It is also important to look at it from another perspective: Is it worth worrying about an event? Will it all be “forgotten” in a few days?

Learn to manage your time

Time waits for none of us. Create a healthy balance between your work environment, family, friends, and commitments. Become more organized and consistent. Don’t procrastinate, but complete your obligations ahead of time if possible. Establish a routine; if it’s easier for you, write it down. Additionally, do not overcommit; set achievable goals, and do not expect too much from yourself.

To make it easier to tackle challenging projects or tasks, consider breaking them down into smaller tasks. Instead of waiting until the last day and putting pressure on yourself if everything doesn’t go according to plan as you imagined.

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

―William James

As we know, stress is the body’s natural reaction to challenging situations. It all depends on us: how we perceive it and how deeply we allow ourselves to be affected. Always pay attention to how you feel, what thoughts dominate your mind, and where you turn for support. Create your own plan for how you will respond when you encounter a stressful situation. Stress can be detrimental to our health, especially with long-term exposure. I wish you all the best until next time.