5 Strategies to Manage a Stressful Event

I’m having shoulder surgery today. My mind is spinning. My heart is racing. 

Will my pain be cured? What will the recovery be like? How long will my daily life be disrupted?

Life weighs heavily on many of us: unemployment, debt, divorce, or depression. Even the details of our daily lives can be stressful: a traffic jam, an uncomfortable conversation, or a stack of bills.

In situations big or small, our minds have a tendency to run wild, dwelling on possible negative outcomes and causing feelings of worry, overwhelm, and frustration.

But there is power in recognizing that we have control over the stories in our heads. When we become aware that our thoughts are spinning out of control and our hearts are beating rapidly, we have the freedom to choose to think, feel, and act differently.

Here are 5 steps that will help you feel calm and empowered in stressful situations:

1. Breathe.
   Just breathe.
   Take slow, powerful breaths.
   Bring your attention to your breathing.
   Feel the rise and fall of your chest and abdomen.

2. Quiet your thoughts. (You know, that voice inside your head that’s running through all of the worst-case scenarios.) 
   Turn down the volume.
   Picture those thoughts melting away.

3. Focus on the present moment.
   Notice your heartbeat slowing.
   Feel the ground beneath your feet.
   Think about what you are grateful for at this very moment.

4. Reframe your thoughts with powerful questions. 
   What is one thing I can do to cope better?
   What is something I can learn?
   What is the opportunity in this situation?

5. Self-care.
   Do something that makes you feel good.
   Take a warm shower, make your favorite breakfast, or go for a walk.

I’m prepared to leave for my scheduled surgery. Before I go, I wrap my hands around a warm cup of coffee, snuggle my dog, and enjoy a living room fire. 

I’m choosing to think about how this blog and these words might help someone experiencing a stressful situation. 

And I’m choosing to fill my thoughts with gratitude for the nurses and doctors who are going to take care of me today.  

“When you are present in this moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future. Then true intelligence arises, and also love.” —Eckhart Tolle