There is a secret behind the most successful people in the world and that is they have a great ability to stay calm in stressful situations. Like everybody else they also encounter a lot of stressful situations and they stay calm and relaxed even under pressure, they think through of a possibly best solution to handle that situation with cool mind and find out a way to handle it.

Staying calm in the stressful situations is not a science, it is a simple habit everyone can develop with little changes in their lifestyle. Below are seven tips to help you keep yourself cool and calm in stressful situations.

• Breath Control: We tend to take shallow breaths when we are anxious or feeling stressed. As light and shallow breaths make us feel light-headed, panicky and dizzy it reduces our chances to stay calm. By taking deep breaths we can lower our heart rate, reduce blood pressure, reduce muscle tension and stay calm as it relaxes your mind. When you are stressed try deep inhaling slowly through your nose, hold it for a second and then slowly release it. If you continue it for two minutes you will see that you feel relaxed and calm.
• Say No to Caffeine: Caffeine is good when you need a boost, it gives you a quick burst of energy, but it stimulates your central nervous system that can cause anxiousness which adds to your stress. So, when you feel stressed instead of taking caffeine try drinking water, as it will give some freshness to your body and add up to your oxygen level which will help you release your stress.
• Stay Positive: Staying positive, thinking positive and letting go off your negative thoughts is the key to handle your stressful situation. Having a negative attitude in a stressful situation will certainly make you more stressed, you will start thinking about the negativities and all the ill thoughts. But, if you stay positive, think positively your will surely remain calm and you will find that your stress level going down in no time. Positive thoughts have the great potential to shape who you are and your circumstances also gives you energy to stay relaxed.
• Analyze the Impact: Most of the things which causes stress are momentary and they tend to go away in very short time. Next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, take a moment and ask yourself: Is this going to matter to me tomorrow, next week, next month or a year from now? And you will find that No, it won’t. So why get stressed for situations which are momentary and even if it is something which is really a matter of concern then there are ways to resolve it, rather than getting stressed and deteriorating your peach of mind which is of paramount importance.
• No Multi-tasking: For many people, trying to multi-task can lead to confusion, chaos and stress. Multi-tasking obviously increases efficiency but at times it can also make life and tasks more complicated and often more stressful than needed. Instead, try focusing on just one job at a time and finish it before moving onto your next task and watch as your stress levels reduce and life becomes easier.
• Get Enough Sleep: For a healthy living and healthy brain you need to get enough sleep. There has been a ton of research on sleep and its effects on efficiency of a person to handle stressful situations and results were eye opening. People who sleep less than six hours a night were found to stay stressed, they had low attention span, were anxious and feel low at times. Getting enough sleep is necessary like getting enough air and food for a healthy and stress-free living. Making efforts to have a good night’s sleep means you’ll feel alert, refreshed and ready to face the day with less stress and a positive and calmer attitude.
• Disconnect: You get stressed when things don’t work they are supposed to work. And when you are stressed you are very less likely to get those things done right, and it obviously raises your stress level, in such situations just give a little diversion to your mind. Try walking away and disconnecting from the task for a few minutes, an hour or even longer. This way you’ll give yourself a chance to calm down, release any emotional attachments and face the task again with a fresh, clearer perspective and you will see that you got that work done in a relaxed way.

Most of the stressful situations take away our control as they make us anxious and stressed where we are not able to think of a positive solution. Next time you feel stressed, try out a few of these tips and you’ll soon be feeling relaxed and back in control to handle the stressful situation and resolve it with positivity.

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Also published on Medium.