How Successful People Stay Calm

Dr. Travis Bradbury, co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, has listed 10 strategies that successful people use to deal with stress. In summary:

• They Appreciate What They Have: People who work daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical well-being.

• They Avoid Asking “What If?” The more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you’ll spend focusing on taking action that will calm you down and keep your stress under control.

• They Stay Positive. Give your brain a break from stress by identifying one positive thing that has happened, no matter how small.

• They Disconnect. When you make yourself available to your work 24/7, you expose yourself to a constant barrage of stressors…Choose blocks of time where you cut the cord and go offline.

• They Limit Their Caffeine Intake. Drinking caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline, the source of the “fight-or-flight” response, allowing your emotions to overrun your behavior.

• They Sleep. Your self-control, attention, and memory are all reduced when you don’t get enough—or the right kind—of sleep.

• They Squash Negative Self-Talk. The more you ruminate on negative thoughts, the more power you give them. Identifying and labeling your thoughts as thoughts by separating them from the facts will help you escape the cycle of negativity and move toward a positive new outlook.

• They Reframe Their Perspective. Stress and worry are fueled by our own skewed perception of events. So before you spend too much time dwelling on something, take a minute to put the situation in perspective.

• They Breathe. Close the door, put away all other distractions, and just sit in a chair and breathe. The goal is to spend the entire time focused only on your breathing, which will prevent your mind from wandering.

• They Use Their Support System. To be calm and productive, you need to recognize your weaknesses and ask for help when you need it.

Read the whole article here.