Tips for Staying Calm in Stressful Situations – Advice from the Doctors at South Tampa Immediate Care

tips-for-staying-calm-in-stressful-situationsIn today’s fast-paced world, stress is, for the most part, constant and unavoidable. But a life without challenges would be a boring life indeed. As you deal with the everyday stressors that help you learn and grow, the key to protecting your mental and physical well-being is changing your habits so that you are able to relax in stressful situations. This may sound virtually impossible, but it is actually much easier than you may think. When you feel your blood pressure starting to rise, here are some effective strategies that can help you keep calm and carry on:

  • Don’t simply respond; instead, react. When someone or something makes you feel stressed, you allow them to overpower you. You can reclaim your power by responding in a way that makes you feel good. Rather than becoming angry or upset, make a conscious choice to make the best of the situation. By taking the high road, you can achieve a sense of peace and equilibrium.

  • Visualize the outcome you desire. Your mind is a very powerful thing. Through it, you have the ability to see the very worst – or the very best. There is only one person who can control your mind, and that person is you.

  • Always be prepared. A lack of preparation can lead to a lot of grief. Whether you’re stressing about an upcoming college examination, work presentation, athletic performance, or party you’re hosting, be sure to plan ahead and prepare yourself as best you can.

  • Capitalize on your nervous energy. When your fight-or-flight instinct kicks in, get it out of your system by exercising, such as going for a walk or run. A change of scenery will also help you to refocus and put things into the proper perspective.

  • Just accept the situation and smile. When you become stressed, try not to take everything so seriously. If you fail, think of it as a learning experience and move on all the wiser.

  • Help others with their own challenges. Whether it’s through volunteer work or simply making an effort to show compassion toward each person you encounter, try to help others improve their own lives. In addition to making you feel better, when you shift your thoughts away from yourself, you won’t have the time to feel stressed.

  • Set aside some quiet time. Through meditation, you can learn to identify and ban negative thoughts, and instead concentrate on a positive outcome. As you alter your outlook, you’ll regain control over your words and actions and be less affected emotionally by outside events.

Just remember, you can’t always control a situation, but you can control how you react to it. Instead of allowing stress to overtake you, take the helm and let it energize you instead.

For more health and lifestyle tips like these, please refer to our online series of health articles. You may also feel free to contact or visit South Tampa Immediate Care. Our walk-in clinic is conveniently located on South Howard Avenue in Tampa, FL, and we welcome patients from Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Brandon, and the rest of the Greater Tampa Bay area.