This 3-step science-based technique will show you how effective your current way of managing stress really is for you. And if it’s not, then what would work better, how to manage stress quickly and more effectively because… it’s a skill that not only makes us more resilient but also more confident dealing with uncertainties in life.
How to manage stress quickly and more effectively
Step 1: Get a grip
The first thing is to learn how to think clearly in that moment when feeling stressed so that we can make better choices, respond rather than react.
“The best tools to reduce stress quickly, so-called real-time tools are going to be tools that have a direct line to the so-called automatic nervous system. The automatic nervous system is a name given to the kind of general features of alertness or calmness in the body.”
– Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist
And one very effective way to quickly calm the body, the nervous system down in real is to modulate our stress response. Stepping down physiologically, modulating how our body reacts when feeling stressed gives us better access to the PFC, which is the reasoning and problem-solving part of our brain.
Ways to do this quickly –
- When the heart starts beating faster, we instinctively know something’s not normal about a situation, right? Using respiratory sinus arrhythmia we can slow the heartbeat down without taking a break. We exploit the mind-body connection here… slowing the heart beat to calm down enough to start thinking clearly. And the science behind it is that when we breathe out, the squeezing lungs bring the diaphragm up which leaves less space for the heart to beat. And that makes the brain signal the heart to go slow to effectively pump all the blood that’s trying to get through. So, just remember to breathe out longer whenever you want to calm your nerves down.
- Stress causes our vision to narrow, so that we can focus more intensely on the things threatening us. To reverse this and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, focus in the mid-distance without looking at anything in particular. To do this, try to see what’s above, below and on both sides of your direct field of vision without moving the eyes… you know like how the vision gets a bit unfocused, looking without actually seeing anything when trying to remember something or thinking about something? Just like that, but only doing it intentionally.
Step 2: Sort specifics
The next step is to get specific and sort. See, the problem with most of the stress management tools we usually see, hear, or read about isn’t that they aren’t helpful, most of them really are. But the problem is that they either stop midway or we tend to focus more on the quick-results feel-good part of it.
Anything that tells us how to manage stress without showing how to manage the stressors can actually be counterproductive in the long run. That’s because it’s like putting a band-aid on without doing anything about the real cause of the problem.
That’s why it’s important to be clear about what are the things worrying you. But remember that we are only dealing with short term and mid-term stress over here because long-term stress needs a different kind of approach.
What to do –
- So, the next step is to write down all the what ifs and things you are feeling stressed about because writing not only forces us to be more specific but helps realize right-away which ones are least likely or simply silly. It also makes sorting rest of the things easier.
Then, sort them into what you think is within your control and which ones realistically aren’t. Ask ‘what exactly am I worrying about’ and keep repeating till you get something specific, like “I fear I might discover at the last moment that I have forgotten to bring the documents with me.” Get as specific as you can because finding specific solutions to vague ideas like ‘what if I mess up’ is really difficult.
Step 3: Predictability (how to manage stress dealing with uncertainties in life)
It’s the uncertainty of situations… not knowing what might really happen that stresses us out, triggers catastrophic thinking. And having a sense of control not only tunes down stress, but also makes us more confident dealing with uncertainties in life. So, the last step is to take out the element of surprise to feel more in control.
What to do –
Watch the video up top to know what to do exactly and how doing that helps.
Hope you found this useful.
