We're back with part two of the stress series. In PART ONE, we went over who exactly invented stress and when the word was coined, as well as what happens in our brain when we feel stressed. Today, I'd like to share 5 strategies with you in order to reduce stress. Keep reading or watch the full video below for more...

Strategy #1. Forget About Balance

It is a myth to believe that we can have exactly the same amount of work than we have the amount of life. Work is part of life. It's not either or. We should stop seeing work as a cruel task that we have to get through, and we should stop thinking that when we work, it's not fun and it's hard, and life is the fun part.

Think about it: We spend most of our time at work. We have to make sure that work is fun, we have to find a way to enjoy it somehow! Find something that you like doing, and if the job that you're doing, or the organization you work for, or the business you run doesn't bring you joy, then there's something wrong there. We have to find the good! And if what is good about your job is the fact that you receive a salary for it, that's enough to make you like it, isn't it? It is part of your life.

Of course, this is a funny cartoon, but in reality, it's not funny at all, because it is the case. People are so swamped and so overwhelmed at work that they can't cope anymore, and it leads to depression or medical leave because they can't deal with it anymore. It happens quite a bit, especially now, where there's a shortage of staff everywhere. We need to figure out a way to forget about work-life balance, and to stop thinking of work as a cruel thing.

Strategy #2. Expect It

Expect it. It is going to happen, right? I have a couple of cartoons to illustrate my point...

That's a joke, of course. It's never going to be over. Changes are there to stay. It will always be evolving and there will always be something on our plate.

What kind of work do you have? If your personality style requires for you to work in a less stressful environment, there are potentially less stressful jobs for you, that you may be happier with. Maybe with less responsibility, if it's not something that you want to do.

Of course our workloads are going to increase. Right now, as I'm recording this, I am off for two months, and I would be lying if I said I haven't worked at all. Or course, I love what I do, but also, I'm running a business. Things are going to keep piling up, and I expect them to! We need to expect it. If you know that it's going to happen, it's going to be easier to go in knowing that it's just part of the game, and it may lower your stress levels since you know how it's going to go.

Strategy #3. Postpone It

Try to postpone your stress. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but hear me out. Very often, we get overwhelmed by something because we feel like it needs to be dealt with right away, on the spot. Try thinking: "Let me think about it" instead of having to answer right away. Try to gain some time.

For example, let's say you're in the middle of doing something, and you start feeling stressed for whatever reason. Try saying: "Okay, I don't have time to stress about this right now, because I'm doing something really important. I'm trying to fall asleep, and I have to feel refreshed tomorrow morning when I wake up, because there will be more stress coming my way. I will plan to be stressed on Tuesday. I'll think about that. I'll put it in my schedule, plan some time to think about it and then fix it." I promise, it works!

Strategy #4. Learn to Say No

Sometimes, it is not true that people are giving us all these tasks. We choose what we say yes to.

Wouldn't that be nice? Our logical mind can only handle five to nine things at a time, but most of the time, we have to deal with a lot more than that. That's why we get overwhelmed, because we live at a logical level. If you've been following me for a while, you know that we need to tap into the unconscious mind where the big potential is, where we can handle 2.3 million pieces of information at once.

Living at a logical level where we can only handle a maximum of nine things at a time is not a good place to live, because we are constantly overwhelmed. For that reason, by learning to say no, you can have more space for the things that are really important to you.

Strategy #5. Surround Yourself

How do you surround yourself? Who are the people around you?

If you're constantly reading bad news, if you're constantly around negative people or stressful people and putting yourself in those stressful situations, if you are constantly bathing in a stressful environment, more likely, one day or another, it will affect you. Surround yourself with people who make you feel good. Maybe try self-care if it's something that speaks to you (check out MY BLOG about self-care for ideas).

Hopefully, you liked the five strategies you just read about. Next week, we'll be going over 22 powerful questions to reduce stress on the spot. I will see you there!

IS YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION STRESSING YOU OUT?

Unfortunately, we don’t learn how to manage our money in school. We learn the hard way, and it may get stressful.

Once you have scheduled some time to deal with your stress (if you read the blog, you know what I mean!), it's time to do something about it. Download your FREE copy of our KNOW YOUR MONEY TRACKER Excel spreadsheet and gain the clarity you need to get on top of your finances... And get rid of that unnecessary stress!

Check out some of my previous blog posts...