How to Adapt to a Stressful Situation

Often when people face a new and stressful situation, they feel overwhelmed at the thought that they may have to deal with this stress for an extended period of time.

The good news is that there are things that can be done to mitigate the stress of virtually any situation, even if the situation itself is there to stay for a while.

The following are some stress relief strategies that can help.

Have The Right Attitude

Research shows that viewing something as a challenge helps you to mobilize your resources and bring your “A game” to the situation more easily, while viewing the same situation as a threat can lead to a greater tendency to feel stressed and shut down.

If you read about avoidant coping, you can see some of the problems that are associated with shutting down or avoiding your stressor. The following steps can help you to move into a more empowered frame of mind if you need to.

Understand the Role of Attitude
Your attitude can help to determine how stressful a situation feels for you, and how you approach your options. In fact, attitude can affect which options you see and do not see, which can also affect your stress levels and the outcome of your actions.

Examine Your Thought Patterns
Your thought patterns may feel automatic, but you can choose where your focus lies. To begin to make that choice, it helps to become aware of your habitual thinking patterns.

Practice Positive Self-Talk
Positive self-talk means using more optimistic language in your head, and focusing more on possibilities. Learn the specific areas where you can shift your focus and in the process, alter what is possible for you, and how stressful or stress-free your life feels.

Build Resilience Through Healthy Habits

If you can’t do any more to change your situation, you can still reduce the stress you feel as you manage your daily life.

Self Care
Focus on taking care of your body, and you will have a greater ability to handle frustration and stress in your life overall.

Exercise
Because of that and the obvious health benefits of exercise, this is a powerhouse of a stress reliever that should be worked into your schedule when at all possible.

Meditation
Meditation can help you to remain centered in the face of stress and can help you to regain a sense of peace when you are feeling off-balance.

Positive Attitude
Maintaining a positive attitude is one thing you can do to make everything in your life feel easier. A positive attitude also helps you to get along better with others (which can lead to greater social support and less conflict) and can help you to remain feeling good, even when things around you are not so great.

Excerpted from “How to Adapt to a Stressful Situation” on VeryWellMind.com. Read the full article.