Do you ever get stressed about stress?
Often when we’re feeling stressed, we pile on additional layers of worry, criticism, and self-judgment (“I shouldn’t be so stressed!” and “All this stress is bad for me”).
Some studies have shown that our perception of stress can have a more negative impact than the original stress itself.
How does emotional agility help with stress?
When I’m feeling stressed or overwhelmed, these are some of the things I do…
- Go for a walk
Since I was a child, I have found clarity when walking in nature. These walks cut out the noise and help me to focus and prioritize. I love the words of Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata (see below) and I often remind myself of them.
- Treat myself kindly
Sometimes I speak to myself as if I were a kind friend: “Okay, now Susy-love, what do you need to do about this?” Talking to yourself is far more common than people let on! What kind of self-talk do you use? When I researched Emotional Agility, I discovered that I’m not alone in a very specific kind of self-talk which leans on a very powerful strategy: 3rd person perspective-taking. LeBron James does it, too.
- Focus on my key values and goals
I often put big Post-it notes on the walls of my office with my values and goals written on them. These reminders are something I wrote about in Emotional Agility called environmental cues, which are key in helping people gain new habits and shape behaviors. My Post-its support me to be more values-aligned and to focus on what is important.
- Here’s a bonus video that highlights a key question you can ask yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
What works for you when you’re stressed? What are some small, values-aligned tweaks that might help you to deal with stress effectively?
