Are You a Good Stress Manager? (Part 1)

Who does not dream of living a stress-free life? No worries. No bills to pay. No health concerns to rob you of sleep. No crazymakers who exasperate you and drive your round the bend to the point of breaking. And no unfulfilled dreams or ambitions to lament about.

 

But unfortunately, life will not be what it is in the absence of stress. It is a fact all of us need to acknowledge and embrace. On the upside, not all stress is bad. There are good types of stress that inspire you to put your best foot forward or live up to expectations. Although these can be associated with specific instances, like the need to improve your performance to get good work evaluation and the likes, truth be known that more often than not, it all depends on how you perceive it and manage it.

 

Yes, even the worst type of stress can be viewed as a good one if you will it. You can use it advantageously to develop yourself even more, rather than let it bury you in misery. But if you have to deal with these one after the other or worse, at the same time, you may weaken and buckle beneath the combined force later on.

 

To prevent the combined force of intense stress from weighing you down, you must manage it well. And herein is where the question lies: are you a good stress manager?

 

Even if you have had been battling and juggling stress all your life, you could never justify just how good a stress manager you are unless you possess these traits:

 

You know when to say “no.”

 

The only way you will know if you are taking on too much stress or not, is if you are aware of your limits. Given that some people are more resilient and tougher than others, still, limitations exist. It is part and parcel of human existence. As much as we want to go beyond our innate capabilities, truth be known that in failing to acknowledge this truth, we run the risk of spreading ourselves too thin. Once this occurs, expect everything to fall apart.

 

Therefore, you have to make it a point to know your personal limits. Then you should have the courage to put your foot down and either decline or pause for a while if matters threaten to overwhelm you. Whether in your personal or professional life, knowing when to say turn down and abiding by it is the first step to good stress management.

 

If you think that you are doing yourself and other people a favor when you overburden yourself, you are wrong. You are only wasting your effort and time needlessly. Why? Because once you are stressed out already, your efficiency, patience, and interest dips. In turn, this is bound to adversely affect your output.