The ability to stay calm during a crisis can make all the difference in many different situations. Of course, stress comes and goes, but in life, there will always be something to stress about. The key is knowing how to handle that stress without allowing it to take over or affect you negatively. While this is easier said than done, there are ways you can learn to slowly get the hang of managing stress in a healthier way rather than getting anxious or angry.
Learn To Breathe
The number one and most effective technique for reducing anger and anxiety it breathing. When you become anxious or angry, you tend to breathe quickly with shallow breaths. As a result, the brain starts activating the fight-or-flight response. For this reason, taking long, deep, calming breaths will disrupt that pattern and help you calm down.
Limit Caffeine
When you’re dealing with something stressful, the last thing you need is to have too much caffeine in your system. All it will do is stimulate the areas of your brain that are causing you to feel overwhelmed in the first place by releasing adrenaline into your system. Instead, reach for a glass of water instead.
Release That Energy
It’s been recommended that when you’re becoming too angry or anxious, you should get all that emotional energy out with some exercise. Go out for a walk or a run. Doing physical activity will release serotonin and help you calm down and feel better. However, avoid physical activity that will include the expression of anger, like punching walls or screaming – doing so will only increase the sense of anger and reinforce those emotions.
Write It Down
If you feel too angry or anxious to talk about it, grab a notebook and just write down your thoughts. Don’t worry about punctuation or complete sentences – just write. Writing will help you get negative thoughts out of your head.
Disconnect
If it’s possible, try and step away from the situation for a while, even just for an hour or two. This will allow you to process the dilemma at hand and the emotions surrounding it. After doing that, you’ll be able to approach the situation with a fresh, more rational, perspective.
