Stress is one of those things that we all have in our life. Some types may be more manageable, but it doesn’t mean stress is not stress. We all experience the stresses that come with life. Whether that stress comes from school, work, parents, siblings, friends, society, etc., it is stress nonetheless. The stresses we have is personal to us because no one can ever know how you are truly feeling. You are your own person, and no one can say that they know exactly what you are going through. Though that is the case, I have come up with seven steps to help you begin the process of de-stressing. You can modify or change the list to suit your personal needs and figure out what you need to be stress-free.

These steps are in no particular order. You might need to modify one or more steps, but each step is a guide for you to go deeper into your mind to find a resolution and relieve the stress you have built up. These steps are very caring and not harmful to you or others. This is about self-love and understanding. Stress serves very little purpose in our day-to-day lives, but we let it take the spotlight day in and day out. Below are the steps to help manage your stress.

Seven Steps for Stress Management

1. Breathe

2. Meditate

3. Journaling/Writing

4. Exercise/Walk

5. Rest/Sleep

6. Go out on the town

7. Understand

Before we dive into the steps needed to manage your stress, let’s first learn to understand what stress is. Stress is caused by our thoughts, feelings, and actions, as well as outside stimuli. Our jobs, relationships, or even ourselves can stress us out. We might just be at home and be stressed about how we will pay for next month’s rent. It is a reality for some that they are unemployed and cannot find a good fit for themselves. No matter what stress is weighing you down, you can take the needed steps to get rid of it. Again, problems/situations in your life that are causing you stress will require different plans to remedy.

Stress is a part of our primitive minds. This type of stress triggers our fight-or-flight response in our minds. We no longer need that type of response in our day-to-day lives. There are no saber-tooth tigers in the bushes waiting to jump out and eat us. Though some people may have a job that can be stressful in its regards does not give validation for it to take your tranquility away and stress you out. The people you see stressed all the time are the people who do not know how to manage their stress levels. Yes, a job or life can be stressful, but that does not have to define you. Going into these seven steps and understanding the right mix for you can have a huge impact on the amount and frequency of stress that shows up in your life.

Step one – Breathe. I recall when I was walking down the road to enlightenment and in the early steps I needed to take for that journey. That first step was I had to understand how to breathe. I had to learn what my breath was telling me. I learned that the way I was breathing was an indicator that I was present and centered. I have spoken about the power of breathing in my past blogs, but I will reiterate it for my new readers. The power of breathing does a few things for the body. The first and most important thing is that it helps the process of bringing oxygen around the body to the brain. This keeps you going. Without breathing, you would have no life. That means that breathing is the life force that you forget about each day. The simple act of breathing can and will help you be present. It will help you to focus on the sound and quality of the breath (amongst other things). Are you wheezing or perhaps have shortness of breath? Maybe you take in a nice big breath to fill up your lungs. Did you pay attention to how your belly rises and falls and your lungs expand and contract? That is the power of breathing. It helps you find the moment.

Breathing helps us learn to live in the moment. Being able to completely feel what is going on in our body and mind is a great starting point to finding the stress that resides in us. The stress can be big or small, but the step of breathing will help revitalize you and give you energy. This is because when you give your brain a rush of oxygen, you are giving it more fuel in a sense to process and get the job done. When members of the police swat force train, they learn a breathing technique to help cope with high levels of adrenaline. It is a breathing technique where the person takes a deep inhale and separates the exhale into short breaths (about  3-5). This simple technique helps them to have better control over their body and take proper actions/decisions. Though these individuals have very stressful jobs, they have learned to deal with the stress head-on through the power of breathing.

Step two – Meditate. This is another thing I have spoken about, but it holds, too, when dealing with stress. Meditation does not have to be something traditional where you sit on a cushion with your legs crossed and recite “Ahummm” over and over again. Mediation is something that you can personalize for yourself. There is a good chance that you have already incorporated some type of meditation into your daily life. The goal of meditation is to bring you into the moment and allow your brain to flow freely with no unnecessary thoughts. Meditation can be done in your bed, at work, in the gym, in your car, etc. Meditation is the understanding that this time/moment is for you.

Meditation helps to bring in all that matters. When you meditate, you have to do your best to omit any unneeded thoughts. You have to leave your dirty shoes at your mind’s door before you walk into its temple. Meditations remind you to keep the thrash where it needs to be. Your mind should be a place filled with love, passion, ambition, and certainty. Your mind should be clear and organized because if it is not, then that is when stress can take over and make you feel overwhelmed. I understand that the world can weigh heavily on your shoulders at times, but you do not have to suffer while it is there. Your mind can be your happy place and a sanctuary for healing and energy. Both of those will help give you what you need to fend off and deal with any stress that has taken root in and around your life.

Step three – Journaling/Writing. Journaling helps your mind to process things in an orderly fashion. You can use journaling to write down all your problems that need to be addressed, or you can write down a to-do list of all that you must get done. Journaling/writing helps organize your brain so you can take the best actions. Stress usually comes from disorder and large amounts of work that need to get done. For example, you might have over 1,000 emails to go through and reply to after taking a vacation. This can be a daunting task and can cause stress. The task is huge and feels like it is impossible, but you have to get it done. Journaling or the simple task of writing down and planning will help you come up with a solution instead of just trying to get as many as you can get done right now.

The power of journaling is organization. You can put all your thoughts where you want them, and you can then focus your attention where it truly needs to be. I use journaling to get rid of all the negative thoughts that do not serve me. When I can no longer handle stress, feel overwhelmed, or confused/lost, I journal. I write/type until my mind is empty. When my mind is empty, I am no longer thinking about all the troubles in my life or all that I have to do. I put it all down to get it out of my head. Typically the stuff I write down does not serve me, so I leave it on paper to never see the twinkle of my eyes again. Once I get all the bad stuff out, I pick just one thing that I want to work on or do. I make sure that this serves me. Your journaling experience can be any way you wish it to be, but let it be productive and be able to walk away after writing feeling refreshed and confident.

Step four – Exercise/Walk. This is my preferred method when I am feeling overwhelmed. That is because I use multiple stress management steps to assist with relinquishing any stresses I have. While at the gym, I am 100% focused. I do not talk to other gym patrons because, for me, the gym is my meditation time. I take the outside world and place it on pause. I treat my gym time as a place to breathe, meditate, and get fit. Exercise will automatically require you to focus on your breathing and be present on what is going on in your body. This is great because, after a good workout, you feel more energized mentally. This can have a huge effect on all that you have to get done.

Exercise is something that puts you in a positive mindset. That positivity and optimism help you deal with the stresses you are facing. You won’t solve anything by going out for a walk alone, but you will start to feel a rush of good that enters your body due to exercise. Let your mind work its magic to come up with a solution rather than think about the problem. Exercise has a positive effect naturally on the body, so using it as a tool to help relieve stress is a great idea.

Step five – Rest/Sleep. I am sure you heard that getting a good night’s sleep is all you need to feel better. This is true in two distinct ways. The first is that when you sleep, you are actively not thinking about all the stresses you have to deal with in your life. When you wake up from a night’s rest (good or bad), you have a new level of activation energy. Activation energy is what is needed to get tasks done. Certain tasks require large amounts of activation energy, while other tasks require little. This can cause stress because you might initially feel that you cannot do it because of low amounts of energy. That is why when you wake up, the tasks the day before do not seem as daunting as before. The tasks seem to be more manageable and achievable after resting.

Knowing that when you rest/sleep, you are letting your body heal and energize for the next day or part of the day. Have you ever woken up from a nap and felt amazing? That was me on Wednesday. I was tired and feeling a bit sluggish. I still had a good amount of activation energy, but I knew procrastination would set in because I was tired. I decided to rest instead of pushing through what needed to be done. This was the best choice for me at the time. We all need to rest and take it easy at times. The last thing you need to do is burn out. That is more difficult to bounce back from. So it is important to rest when you feel tired and low on energy. Your overall mood will change once you are well-rested.

Step six – Go out.  This one is not only easy but simple to do for the most part. You might be at work or home and just need a change of pace. Sometimes relocating can be the spark you need to make progress and deal with what is causing stress in your life. For example, you can go out to the beach to get some fresh air and take a short walk on the boardwalk (see how the steps work together). It is important that when you go out when feeling overwhelmed, you come back with a positive mindset. If you were stressed about cleaning the house, then when you go out and return, make sure you have a plan in place, perhaps from journaling. The plan you come up with doesn’t have to be the whole solution. Start small and work your way up.

The step of going out or changing your scenery can be as simple as going from one room to the next. Sometimes making a small move or just the process of movement can give you the momentum you need. I know when I feel stressed, I make sure to leave where I am and go for a walk or simply get some fresh air. I make sure that when I return I am ready to work Just the act of stepping back can allow you to take the next steps forward that seemed overwhelming. There is nothing wrong with changing your environment so you can grow without any hindrance.

Step seven – Understand. The mindset of understanding is a positive one. You take what has been given to you and accept it. Though you may not like the card that was drawn, you can be positive and accept it. This doesn’t mean you accept the bad things in your life and do not try to change them. This means that what has happened has happened. You are in charge of your future! What you want can come to you, and it begins with “you” understanding that.

With understanding, you need to have a little bit of belief. You have to believe that things will get better. You might be feeling stressed and depressed, and the process of understanding can be your biggest ally in the fight for your sanity. You just have to take a step back to see the whole picture. Understand what is going on and come up with something that will put you in a positive mindset. You might just want to be in a dark place because you feel helpless, but you have to do your best to get out of that hole. You are the only one who can lift yourself after falling and being knocked down. You are the one that has to decide what you want in your life. You have to understand that you are the maker of your destiny. Once you can understand all of this, then the stresses and worries will seem to fade away. You are stronger than any obstacle before you.

All in all, these seven steps can help you manage your stress. From breathing to understanding that things will turn out fine is all you need to manage and rid yourself of stress. Though you need to take proper actions to have a less stressful life, you can begin with these seven steps. Do not be afraid to modify them or try methods that have worked for you in the past. What you want in your life when dealing with stress are love and care. You want to make sure that what you do to manage your stress is something that makes you a better person and stronger overall. It can be very easy to be destructive in today’s world. I want you to take the other side and be creative and a problem solver so that stress does not come in unannounced repeatedly. In order to be on top of your stress levels, you have to be on top of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Remember you are in charge and what you allow in and for your life.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts