3 Science-Backed Strategies To Help You Reduce Stress

Things are stressful, intense, and challenging. Perhaps you want to reduce stress in any way possible. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to deal with confusion, based on science, best practices, and what actually works.

That’s critical today, as more people report feeling stressed, fearful, and even distrustful. And if you don’t feel your best, you won’t be as present to others or accomplish everything you want in your work and life. Learning how to manage stress can certainly help improve your quality of life.

stress is widespread

Unfortunately, stress is prevalent and happiness levels are declining. It’s surprising that 84% of employees say they feel stressed. Additionally, 91% of Gen Z respondents reported feeling stressed and 98% reported experiencing burnout (survey results). Signa.

Incredibly, a poll of more than 3,000 people found that 27% of respondents said they were so stressed that it was difficult to function most days. stress in america.

Additionally, people feel overwhelmed and fearful. A whopping 88% to 61% of people say they are afraid of everything from information and nuclear war to geopolitical and economic uncertainty. And 61% of people don’t trust their leaders and believe their leaders are actively trying to deceive them. All this according to a global survey by edelman.

So how can you avoid stress and fatigue?

how to deal with stress

There are some practical ways to reduce and manage stress through your mindset and actions.

1. Understand and Reframe

Although we tend to think of all stress as bad, there is actually an optimal stress level. A lack of challenges and new situations to face can actually cause you to lose motivation and even suffer from depression, just like if you have too much stress.

The ideal is to have a moderate amount of stress (called eustress) and enough motivation to stay engaged, interested, and reminded of your important contributions. Positive stressors can actually help you feel energized and increase your endurance, heart health, and cognitive function. National Library of Medicine.

Your mindset is also important. When we define stressors as positive challenges, our bodies release chemicals that help us become stronger, healthier, and ready to take on challenges by synthesizing proteins, rebuilding cells, and boosting our immunity. Masu. This is also in the research results of the National Library of Medicine.

Additionally, the harder you work for something, the more fulfilled and rewarded you will feel when you accomplish it. There are benefits to struggling, learning, and trying.

It is also important to consider the concept of post-traumatic growth. No one wants a difficult situation, but when we get through a particularly difficult situation, we tend to remember our abilities, the people we trust, and our most important priorities become clearer.

Take action:

Whenever possible, use your mindset to define stressors as important issues that you can influence.

Also, choose your words carefully. Speak to yourself and others using words that reinforce the positive aspects of stress and your own empowerment. For example, you arrive at Tackle problems, do everything, and respond to requests. Or you can build strong relationships with your team members by telling yourself there is a good opportunity to learn from this challenge and rolling up your sleeves together.

2. Increase resilience

Resilience is a muscle you can train yourself. The more effectively you cope, the better your ability to overcome the next challenge.

Resilience is essentially three things: 1) understanding reality, 2) making sense of it for yourself, and 3) responding to resolve, survive, or cope. You can stay informed about what’s going on, but you can also intentionally seek out updates from all kinds of sources. Expand your thinking by exposing yourself to ideas that are different from your own, and see what they mean to you and how you can take action.

Also related to resilience is challenging yourself to stretch outside your comfort zone. By doing so, you are more likely to feel happy and happy. If you stretch, you may fail. Failure is part of life and learning. If you don’t fail every now and then, you may not be trying hard enough.

Additionally, research shows that we are most motivated when we fail 15% of the time. This research, known as the 15% rule, demonstrated that if your failure rate is less than 15%, you may decide you are close enough to mastery and stop trying. On the other hand, if you fail more than 15% of the time, you may decide that you don’t have what it takes to succeed at the activity. But even if you fail 15% of the time, you’ll still be successful enough to believe you should keep trying, and you’ll fail enough to keep coming back.

take action:

Focus on your hopes for the future, set your goals high, and push yourself to new levels of achievement.

Additionally, seek challenges both at work and in life. Offer to take on a new project or solve a sticky problem at work. Learn a language, do a hard job, or try a new hobby.

3. Connection and care

Stress can cause us to focus inward and lose perspective. When you’re stressed, your vision literally narrows and your peripheral vision narrows. This is an instinctual reaction to help you focus when you find yourself in a difficult situation. However, having a narrow perspective can also make depression worse.

Focusing on others and the contributions you can make correlates with greater happiness and fulfillment. We all have the instinct to value things. And paying attention to how others are doing, what support they need, and how you can help can help you, too. Focusing on others broadens your perspective and takes you out of your own head.

In addition to taking care of others, you also need to take care of yourself. But self-care recommendations are too often superficial. According to the popular press, you should take bubble baths and drink more wine. But these are pathetic and potentially harmful.

Instead, take the self-care actions that make the most sense to you.

• Choose whether to be with others or alone based on what gives you more energy. And if you choose to be with others, make sure they nurture and support you.
• Additionally, intentionally choose to say “yes” or “no.” Get involved in things that give you meaning and contribute positively to your identity. Even if you’re busy, you’ll feel like you have a lot of time when you’re doing what you love.
• Also, choose to spend your time and money on meaningful experiences rather than material goods. These tend to be more correlated with joy, lasting memories, and bonds with people.

Take action:

Focus on others by tuning in and being present. Also, ask questions, then pay attention, listen, and empathize. Provide support.

Additionally, take care of yourself through the activities that are most meaningful to you.

Overcome stress and grow

Stress is a natural part of life. There are ups and downs and there are always stressors. But remind yourself that just because you’re facing challenges, stress doesn’t have to overwhelm you or weaken you.

You can change your mindset and take positive action for your own benefit and the benefit of those you interact with.