I had one of those experiences where I met two kinds of people in this world: ones who believe they can make things happen and ones who believe things happen to them. We all fall in one of these types. People of the first category believe in the fact that the outcome of their life is in their hands, while the second category kind of people prefer to play it safe and wait for things to happen.
If you are from the first part, you are a kind of an extraordinary person who is not affected when the hard times strike. There are people who sit back to wait because they are afraid of handling anxiety and stress on the way towards success. Stress is an unavoidable reality for everyone that can trigger a fight-or-flight response. The researchers found that 83 percent of leaders and 77 percent of workers say that successful people have such habits that makes them have less stress and increased productivity.
According to the CDC’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Americans ranging between 29 percent to 40 percent are “extremely stressed at work.” A vicious cycle of stress is a common thing when there is a lot going on at work, be it a CEO of big companies or workers, all have to go through stressful moments. But the curiosity of making things happen for themselves makes them adapt to different ways of dealing with the tough times.
Here is how some of the most successful people in the world have managed to find out ways to manage stress that comes on the way.
Start your day off right and get into the right frame
We all have such mornings — hitting the snooze button, rushing to the bathroom, skipping breakfast and hurrying out the door. If this is your every morning story, you are definitely starting it wrong. What most successful people have in common for the right start is a routine.
You are already getting into a lot of stress when you have these rushy mornings. If you start off the day with proper planning, you may find the stress of the workplace rolling off your back. Morning routines will vary from person to person; choose what works the best for you.
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has a jam-packed morning schedule. She doesn’t believe in using an alarm as it makes her agitated. Winfrey’s body clock typically wakes her up between 6:02 and 6:20 a.m., followed by taking her dogs outside, making a chai tea or cappuccino and heading down to the gym in her home and meditation. After a healthy breakfast, she goes over her schedule for the day.
Start off your day with a routine that can really make difference in your life — your favorite wellness activities and happy thoughts to change the overall outlook of your day.
Stay organized when life seems to skid out of control
Often clutter is a physical manifestation of stress. Putting in an effort to get things organized can reduce stress levels. What areas are important for getting organized? Organize your time to avoid the negative effects of clutter and be more efficient with your work. When the things around you are organized, you can better manage to take time off for yourself.
“I think it’s really important to take time off,” said Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO. She is really good at managing stress by taking time off for herself. Susan Wojcicki keeps her things organized by properly addressing her family life before returning to work.
The secret of genius is to unplug during your off-time
You often hear about “work-life balance,” but I believe with the ongoing struggle of working long hours and commuting long distances, this term is becoming outdated. Work-life harmony is a better term in this manner to live far more peacefully.
I know it’s easier said than done. But one of the easiest ways to do it is unplug during your off time. You’ll no longer have to strive for harmonious existence when you start giving some time to relax. Consider shutting everything down for a while. When at home, be fully at home. Take your eyes off your emails for a relaxed mindset. Enjoy your time off now.
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg tries to stop herself scrolling through social media or reading emails at night by turning her phone off. She feels the pain to switch off her phone, but the benefits are more satisfying. For her, it isn’t so much about what she does, but what she doesn’t do. After all, a sound sleep at night will prepare you well for the next morning to better deal with stressful situations.
According to research, looking at our screens late at night is very bad for us, spoiling our sleep routine as it hinders the release of a hormone called melatonin which helps us sleep. Less screen time at night, the more your body clock will thank you.
Stop negative self-talk that’s haunting your mind
Let me bring on the age-old question : Is your glass half-empty or half-full? Your answer to this greatly reflects your outlook on life. Your little voice can actually be responsible for finding your attitude towards yourself. The more you delve into the negative thoughts, the more power you give it to rule you. It brings in more anxiety.
Our negative talks are just our thoughts. For example, some of the things we say to ourselves that steer us off the road to success: “I totally suck at this.” “I am always in trouble.” “They don’t appreciate anything I do.” The unpleasant names you give to silly people also shows the how harsh your thoughts are in your mind. As these words get in our head, positive things will never happen.
Apple CEO Tim Cook gives the students advice to tune out a lot of the noise that they come across in their life. When you are listening to everyone all the time, their words become cancer in your mind and for you, your life turns out to be negative.
Literally, go ahead to tune out the negative noise that is finding its way into your thoughts. Once you’ve slowed down your negative thoughts, you’ll be more clear-headed to do more for yourself.
Final thoughts
I’ve found most people struggle to manage stress. So I believe this article that includes some cues from some of the most successful people can help you away from the stress that holds you back from reaching dreams.
Originally published at medium.com