When you feel rushed, pressured or overwhelmed, it triggers the stress response in your body and mind. You act reflexively and can’t think clearly. Learn a couple of very simple tips on how to reverse the stress response and be able to respond more effectively.

Transcript:

Thank you for joining me. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist coach with a coaching tip for you. Do you ever get rushed or pressured? I’m sure you do, what with everything you have to handle in a day. I want to share a couple of simple techniques that can ease that pressure and improve your ability to handle your challenges.

When you feel anxious or overwhelmed, it triggers the stress response, otherwise called the fight or flight response. You’ve heard of this, right? And when you’re stressed, you can’t think creatively or resourcefully or plan effectively.

Your choices are limited to simply reacting to whatever is happening in that moment. And when you react impulsively, it may not be the best way to handle the situation. Have you ever snapped at someone and then regretted it? That’s what I’m talking about. It’s a reflex.

The remedy is to reverse the stress response. To activate the opposite response. And it’s really simple. Before you react to a situation, or when you need to slow down, stop. Take a few long, slow, deep breaths. This calms the stress response down and allows you to think more clearly. It gives you more resources to handle whatever the situation might be.

And your second tip, wait about 10 seconds to gather your thoughts and before you make a decision or respond to the situation. Remember your mom telling you to count to 10? Well, she was right. This engages the executive center of your brain, the part of you that thinks things through and manages your emotions. You can then make more informed decisions that will bring you better results.

I know these seem too easy to be effective. But they’re natural remedies for when you’re stressed. The fun is trying to remember to do them when you’re stuck in “go, go, go” mode. When you do use them, you’re going to notice a difference.

If you’d like more tips on how to make your day flow more smoothly, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

Thank you for watching. I’d love to hear how these two simple tips work for you. Take care.

Read the accompanying article, The Hurrier You Go, The Behinder You Get.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart