4 Game-Changing Stress Relief Tips You Didn’t Know You Needed To Know
Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but that doesn't mean we have to let it control us.
In our quest for peace of mind, we often overlook some of the most effective stress-relief strategies.
This blog post will explore four game-changing tips that you might not have considered before. These aren't your typical "take a deep breath" or "do some yoga" suggestions. Instead, we'll look at some unconventional wisdom that could revolutionize the way you handle stress.
From learning to let go of things beyond our control to embracing our own mortality, these tips might seem counterintuitive at first. But stick with us – you'll soon discover why these approaches can be so powerful in reducing stress and improving your overall well-being.
So, let's challenge some common assumptions and explore these four stress-relief tips you didn't know you needed to know.
Stressing about what’s out of your control
Elections, weather, and the sun going down at 4 pm. We can’t control any of these things, so we might as well not stress over them so much either.
This mental shift can be challenging, but it's incredibly liberating. Instead of expending energy on things we can't change, we can redirect that energy towards actions and decisions that are within our control. This not only reduces stress but also increases our sense of personal empowerment and effectiveness.
While these things may have an impact on us and our health, we can’t directly impact them. So focus on what you can actually control: how you vote, the clothing you wear to bundle up against the weather, getting in the sun when you can and using lights therapy lamps can also help combat the effects of shorter days. Remember, while these external factors may influence our mood and energy levels, we have the power to adapt and create positive routines that support our well-being.
Avoiding an important conversation or decision
Making tough decisions and having healthy, mature conversations are tough. That's why therapy is gaining so much recognition for its usefulness. But even without professional help, we can take small steps to address these challenges. Start by identifying one conversation or decision you've been avoiding and commit to taking a single, concrete action towards it this week.
Worrying about other people’s opinions
FOPO, or Fear of Other People's Opinions, is a significant source of stress and anxiety in our lives. It's a psychological phenomenon that can deeply impact our mental well-being and performance. When we experience FOPO, we become preoccupied with what others think of us, often at the expense of our own thoughts and feelings.
FOPO causes stress and anxiety by:
Exhausting our mental resources through constant worry about others' perceptions
Hindering our ability to make decisions based on our own values and judgments
Creating a performance-based identity, where our self-worth becomes tied to how well we perform in the eyes of others
To combat FOPO and reduce the associated stress and anxiety, we can:
Develop a strong sense of self, which Dr. Gervais describes as "the single greatest bulwark against FOPO"
Practice turning inward when FOPO springs up, responding based on our own internal standards rather than perceived external judgments
Recognize our inherent worth, understanding that we are valuable regardless of our performance or others' opinions
Use journaling to explore our reactions and thoughts, helping us understand what we're defending or embracing
Thinking Your Finitude Is a Problem
Oliver Burkeman has become one of my favourite authors over the past couple of years with his massive bestseller Four Thousand Weeks and his new release, Meditations for Mortals. His concept of what he calls finitude is basically the Stoic Memento Mori - remember that you are going to die. While it sound grim, the lessons in Burkeman’s books do much to assuage this fear and the stress surrounding our mortality.
The point that stands out to me is that if we had all the time in the world to do everything, nothing would mean anything. It’s this finitude, the forcing function of time that makes everything in our lives mean something.
Contemplating this is valuable for confronting this stressor.
To recap:
4 Sources of Stress To Stop Giving a F*ck About
Stop stressing about what’s out of your control
Stop avoiding important conversations or decisions
Stop worrying about other people’s opinions
Stop thinking your finitude is a problem.
Take These Next Steps:
Think about one thing that’s stressing you out that you know if out of your control. Write it down, then write down what you can actually control about this situation.
What’s one decision or conversation that you’ve been putting off? Write down the next step you can take. Is there a meeting you need to schedule? What can you spend five minutes doing to prepare?