Stress is a normal part of our daily lives, but too much of it can be overwhelming and harmful to your mental and physical health.
Stress resilience is the ability to bounce back (or maybe bounce forward?) from stress and handle it in a healthy way.
First, let’s make sure we’re on the same page with definitions of stress:
Healthy stress (eustress) is a normal response to everyday challenges and can motivate you to work harder and achieve your goals. It can help you learn and grow. It can be healthy stress to your mind or body – if it’s manageable and helps you feel stronger or smarter.
Tolerable stress is a temporary response to a significant challenge or change in your life – such as a job loss or a move to a new city. Your mind and body can feel frustrated, exhausted or depleted. With support from others around you and self-care, your tolerable stress can be managed and eventually resolved – even become healthy, helping you grow and learn.
Toxic stress is long-term, chronic stress that can have a damaging effect on your physical and mental health. It results from ongoing stressors – such as a toxic work environment, unsafe neighborhoods, financial hardship, or abusive relationships. Without strong support from others – including sometimes therapy – it can be difficult to manage and can leave long term effects.
You can become stronger to face stressful situations.
Master these 3 things to build your stress resilience
💪 Self-Awareness: Understanding Your Stress Triggers
"The mind is everything; what you think, you become." (Buddha)
Ignorance of truth and reality is the cause of your suffering and self-awareness and understanding of these truths can lead to your peace and liberation. (Me paraphrasing Buddha)
Buddha emphasized the importance of self-awareness in many of his teachings. According to Buddhist philosophy, self-awareness is a key aspect of spiritual development and the path to enlightenment.
Your thoughts and perceptions shape your reality, and that by being aware of your thoughts, you can gain control over them.
This will help you show more wisdom and compassion, and experience more inner peace.
Buddha said self awareness is the first step to happiness and your path to enlightenment. That’s true for building your stress resilience too.
☑️ The first thing you need to do is to become more self-aware of your stress triggers. This means specifically paying attention to your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations when you are under stress.
Think about a recent time when you felt stressed. Where in your body did you begin to feel it? What were your initial thoughts about feeling stressed? Who or what was stressing you?
Knowing what triggers your stress can help you identify patterns and develop strategies to avoid or manage these triggers.
For example, you may realize that you become more stressed when you are faced with tight deadlines at work, or that you become anxious when you have to speak in public. By identifying what’s happening around you when you’re in these situations, you can work to avoid or manage them more effectively.
💪 Self-Regulation: Managing Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Physical Responses
The second step in building your stress resilience is to learn how to regulate your thoughts, feelings, and physical responses when you are under stress. Self-regulation is the ability to control your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in response to you feeling stressed.
You can create a Personal Stress Plan – some pre-determined ways to quickly gain control of your thoughts and emotions when you feel your body reacting to your stress. These can be very specific to what situations you’re in and what you can actually do for yourself to get calmer.
Your Personal Stress Plan can include things like intentional breathing, positive self talk, and mindfulness among other things you can do in the heat of that stressful moment.
Mindfulness will help you focus your attention on the present moment. You can control your stressful thinking by not allowing negative thoughts to become a tidal wave in your mind.
Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations and respond to them in a healthier way. You can practice mindfulness through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga.
Another effective way to regulate your stress response is through physical activity. Exercise can help you release pent-up tension, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve your overall mood. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
💪 Healthy Coping Strategies: Finding New Ways to Cope with Stress
The third step in building your stress resilience is to develop healthy coping strategies. Coping strategies are the actions you take to manage stress and reduce its impact on your life. Some examples of healthy coping strategies include:
Talking to a friend or family member
Practicing mindfulness and deep breathing exercises
Engaging in physical activity, exercise, yoga
Spending time with nature
Getting enough sleep
Seeking professional help — such as therapy or counseling
It’s important to find coping strategies that work for you and make them a regular part of your routine. When you’re under stress, it’s easy to do unhealthy things to cope — such as overeating or drinking too much alcohol.
Instead, try to focus on positive coping strategies that will help you build your stress resilience over time.
☑️ Building your stress resilience requires a combination of self-awareness, self-regulation, and healthy coping strategies.
By becoming more self-aware of your stress triggers, regulating your thoughts, feelings, and physical responses, and developing healthy coping strategies, you can effectively manage stress and reduce its impact on your life. It’s important to remember that building stress resilience takes time and effort, but the benefits are worth it.
Research has shown that individuals with high stress resilience are more likely to have better mental and physical health, stronger relationships, and greater success in their personal and professional lives. By prioritizing self-care and taking control of your stress, you can improve your overall well-being and live your best life.
☑️ Here are a few final tips for building your stress resilience:
Practice self-compassion. Be kind and understanding with yourself, and avoid criticizing yourself for your stress response.
Seek support. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends, family members, or professionals for help when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Make time for self-care. Set aside time each day to do something you enjoy, such as reading a book, taking a bath, or practicing yoga.
Challenge negative thinking. When you’re feeling stressed, it’s easy to get caught up in negative thoughts. Try to challenge these thoughts and reframe them in a more positive light.
Develop a growth mindset. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and focus on developing new skills and abilities to improve your stress resilience.
Stress is a normal part of your life — but too much of it can be overwhelming and harmful.
By building your stress resilience, you can improve your overall well-being, live a more fulfilling life, and handle stress in a healthy way.
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