How to: Stay Calm in a Stressful Situation

We all find ourselves in stressful situations at one point or the other. However, here are a few tips to help soothe these building tensions:

Breathe: They teach you this in yoga; the thing that calms your brain the most is breathing deep breaths. You should exhale and breathe in as many times as you need to in order to calm your nerves and emotions. This may be challenging, but it changes focus from the stressful situation, to something your brain knows how to handle! The deep breaths soothe you inside and out. You may look silly sitting there breathing deeply multiple times, but it will help you out in the long run.

Laugh it Off:  We all know that when things get stressful the tension builds. However, we cannot just sit there and stew over what is about to boil over. Sometimes the best thing to do to relieve the tension inside you is to laugh. People can be stupid and make stupid decisions. However, when someone messes up or something goes wrong, instead of sitting there wondering what “could have been” laugh about it. By hearing yourself laugh your spirits will lighten up a little. Laughing makes the heart grow fonder and laughing at these times is sometimes what is ultimately best for you and for everyone else. By laughing, you are able to let out the sound you want to, without saying the thing you really want to. It’s a win-win situation.

Bite Your Tongue: There is always something we want to say. Although, even though we want to say it, saying it may make the situation worse than it already is. By biting your tongue, you are not only protecting others from hurt, you are also protecting yourself. By the end of the whole situation, you may have multiple holes in your tongue; however, this is most likely what is ultimately best. By speaking our mind when it is not really needed, it could add to the stress and cause others to go off as well. When you bite your tongue, you are helping heal the stress rather than adding to it.

Focus Your Attention Elsewhere: Instead of focusing on the situation and how awful it is, focus on something else that will take your mind off it. By doing this, you are putting your energy in other places. Try to focus on something that will lighten up the tension or make people laugh or happy. Don’t just focus on another stressful situation that could add more worry to the current situation. By distracting your mind, you are ultimately helping yourself.

Stressful situations are never fun; however, with these helpful tips, they can make them better. The biggest thing to remember is to not say something you will later regret. Keep to yourself and soon enough the tension will pass and things will get better again. You control how much energy you put into a stressful situation; don’t let them eat you up.