How to Stop Stressing (For Good)

How to stop stressing (for good).

You need stress to grow. It may not be apparent at the moment. However, I’d bet if you look back at your life, most of your growth was preceded by some stressor. Stress comes before growth. You will have stress if you want to grow in any area of your life. What if you can leverage stress to your advantage? Imagine how you could control your growth.

Unfortunately, most people handle stress poorly. They let it come into their lives and take control. Why?

Most people view stress as a bad thing - something they don’t want.

People’s view of stress has been conditioned to be harmful. The more stress, the more harm they are doing to themselves. Here are some other reasons people struggle to use stress to their advantage.

• Lack of Awareness: People are often unaware they can leverage stress. They see stress as an unequivocal enemy, not realizing it can be a powerful motivator and teacher.

• Absence of Tools and Techniques: Even when people know the potential benefits of stress, they often lack the knowledge or tools to manage and leverage it effectively.

• Resistance to Change: Adapting to a new mindset or approach can be challenging. People stick with what they know, even if it doesn't serve them well.

• Lack of Immediate Results: Learning to leverage stress is a process that requires patience and practice. Some people may get discouraged if they wait for immediate results and give up too soon.

All is not lost, though. You can learn how to handle stress easier. It’s not as difficult as you think.

Here's how:

Start By Identifying The Root Cause

There's a reason you're stressed out.

It could be you've reached capacity, need more clarity, need to decide something, or need more resources.

You must start by being honest with yourself to figure it out and address it directly.

If you’re stressed about your weight, it’s likely because you don’t want to change what you’re currently doing even though you know you need to.

If you’re stressed about your income, it’s likely because you have an internal disconnect between what you’re currently making and what you believe your value is worth.

Practice Deep Breathing

Lack of oxygen is a stress trigger. It disrupts the normal functioning of our body. Here's why:

1. Cellular Respiration: Our cells need oxygen for cellular respiration, a process by which the food we eat is converted into energy. This energy is necessary for the cells to perform their functions. Lack of oxygen disrupts this process, causing cells to function less effectively, leading to fatigue and other symptoms.

2. Brain Function: The brain is susceptible to oxygen levels, using about 20% of the body's oxygen supply. Even a slight decrease in oxygen can affect brain function, leading to symptoms like confusion, dizziness, and in severe cases, loss of consciousness.

3. Physical Stress: When oxygen levels are low, the heart has to work harder to deliver enough oxygen to the body's tissues. This increases the heart rate and blood pressure, which can be stressful for the cardiovascular system.

4. Oxidative Stress: Lack of oxygen can also lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage cells and lead to oxidative stress.

Beat stress with box breathing. Here’s how to box breathe:

• Breathe in for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Breathe out for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

Maintaining an adequate oxygen supply is crucial for our overall health and well-being.

Develop Healthy Habits

Bad habits add to your stress. Good habits make you resilient.

For example, drinking alcohol every day will drop your energy levels.

But if you can swap drinking alcohol for drinking a gallon of water, your energy levels will soar.

Here are some healthy habits to develop:

• Exercise

• Relaxation

• Meditation

• Mindfulness

• Quality sleep

• Balanced diet

• Time management

• Connecting with others

Prioritize Self-Care (And Stick To It)

Everyone has certain activities that fill their cup. Maybe it’s one of the healthy habits listed above. Figure out the activities that give you energy & do more of those.

Create a regular schedule and plan your activities ahead of time.

Here’s an example of my current plan:

Daily

• Exercise

• Family time

• Visualization

• 7.5 hours sleep

• Building relationships

• Eating the correct macros for my goal

Weekly

• Jiu-jitsu

• Mentoring people who want to grow

• Participate in groups I’m involved with

Set Boundaries

Learn to say "No."

Put yourself first while you're at it.

Be honest with yourself about what you want.

Do not let anyone treat you badly. No one. Ever.

This is your life. Live with integrity. Decide what feels right to you, then do it.

Whenever you are ready, here's how I can help you:

1. Coaching - I will help you implement the exact same proven system I use to grow my career and businesses and perform at an elite level — limited availability. APPLY.

2. Advising - I advise tech leaders and business owners to accelerate their team’s performance. SUBMIT AN INQUIRY.