How to Remain Calm in a Stressful Situation

When everything seems to be going wrong and nothing seems to be going your way it can be a very stressful time. What makes these stressful times even worse however is feeling stressed or having someone around you who is stressing-out and in-turn causing the atmosphere to become much more hectic than it ought to be.

If you are able to remain calm in these stressful events then not only will you be able to see much more clearly about what's going on but you will also have a positive effect on those around you.

1. Take a Step Back

Try to look at the situation from an outsiders point of view because what may seem like a major thing to you is really only a trivial thing and so taking that step back will help you to see the situation for what it really is.

2.  Know when you're Getting Anxious

Often when people are stressed they don't even know they are until either later on in the stages of anxiety or when somebody tells them that they are stressed. So with this in mind when a stressful situation arises try to pinpoint when you start to become stressed this will then allow you to take a step back (tip #1) and assess the situation, also allowing you to be more aware when dealing with the situation.

3. How to React

Some stressful experiences are brought on by ourselves. It's not nice to have to admit that a bad situation can occur because of the mistakes that we can make but it's true. There are also those bad experiences in which we don't have control over and just come about on their own accord.

The key to remaining calm is about how you decide to go about reacting to it. When something stressful happens take a moment to consider how you are going to react to what has just happened and you need to confront it straight away. Is it something that really matters (if so is it really beneficial for you to get yourself worked-up?) or is it something trivial you can ignore.

It's having the ability to make the best of a bad situation that will enable you to be much more equipped at dealing with a stressful situation. Keep in mind what you can and can't control.

4. Take action!

Getting yourself worked-up and increasingly anxious will in no way help you to deal with the situation that is present, in fact allowing yourself to get into these states of high-anxiety will only intensify your stress. This isn't the only thing that will intensify your stress levels because by not acting and deciding not to face the stressful situation and spending time thinking about it will only make it worse as-well.

If you have the power to effect the outcome for the better, even if only marginally, it's the best thing to do. The only way you can do that however is by acting...now! Once you've worked your way through it you can ignore the stress and anxiety because the situation has passed and is no longer relevant.

5. Step-by-step

Overwhelmed is the emotion a lot of us experience when tackling something stressful and normally this is a result of feeling like there is way too much to do. So when faced with these predicaments just take it one step at a time, keep in mind that a marathon isn't done all at once but at a step at a time. 

6. Look to Others for Guidance

Often when something is going wrong and others are involved there will be one person who has their head screwed on a little better than the others and who is able to be at least a bit rational about the situation, and it's this person who you should look to for guidance as they will be the one who can see the situation for what it is. 

If others aren't involved in a situation, or if there are, but none are really people to go to for advice or a solution, then look to people you know who will give good sensible advice. It's having the support and guidance of others that will help to keep you calm or at least calmer than usual. 

7. Think before you Share

Now before you proceed with point #6 make sure that you yourself have had time to think about the current situation. Sometimes telling a person can only make things worse and can just create a mountain out of a molehill, so make sure that you have weighed things up in your mind first. 

You'll be surprised sometimes about the solutions that you yourself can come up with, just be a bit patient. 

8. Deep Breathing

This is an old technique that you hear about often working for both young and old. Deep breathing helps to relieve some of the stress (if done properly for a couple of minutes) and will give you an opportunity to have a clearer frame of mind for decision-making. It works better for some than others and isn't something that removes all stress, just helps you to calm yourself down.

Conclusion

Next time a stressful circumstance arises instead of acting out hastily because you are feeling anxious, take a minute to go through these points in your mind and try them out. Remember that taking just a couple of minutes to become calm and make the right decision is better than rushing to a decision and making the wrong one. Hope this helps. :)