Finding your calm has it’s benefits. The way we choose to respond can be helpful or a bigger distraction. Would you rather be that person who always overreacts and make it worse or the one who has control of their emotions and handles it responsibly?
We deal with stress on a daily basis, but most times, it’s stress that we bring upon ourselves. Even if other people do upset us, we don’t have to bite the bait. There are ways we can productively manage and keep our composure.
Calm Thinking
Being calm allows you to think through demanding situations. It gives you the ability to find a solution. This is the reason why some people have anxiety – as soon as something happens out of their routine, they go into fight or flight mode.
This can be extremely stressful. Everything does not deserve a high level of energy to respond. It may begin to ruin your day, but you do have a choice to manage it differently.
Instead of reacting, choose to think. Will this change if I become angry? If I yell at the other person, will it make the situation better? How will it make me feel afterwards? You can even prepare yourself by answering these questions now, before anything happens.
“Who thinks like this?” you might ask. Calm people – that’s who. Once you make it a habit, it becomes effortless. Automatically, you’ll begin to think constructively and you’ll gain an advantage over the situation.
It’s easy to get mad, throw things and use unpleasant words. In the end, you’re still left with the same problem you had before. Try finding a way to make it work and see if it still leads to an unnecessary tantrum. More than likely, it won’t and you can move on to whatever’s next in your day.
Health Issues
All of this can lead to possible health issues. When you stress yourself out, it’s not just your mind, but it involves your body, also.
Notice when you are angry, you tense up. Your jaw may clench or your shoulders become rigid. Overall, you might feel some sort of tightness throughout your body.
It’s like being in an urgent situation, but nothing’s really happening. The cashier just gave you back the wrong amount of money and you’re unhappy about it. You’re upset and your mind is going a mile a minute and so is your body’s anxiety. This is a bad habit that we have to unlearn.
Perhaps you were raised in an environment where everyone became enraged at the slightest mistake. The people around you would go from zero to one hundred over any small misunderstanding. It’s natural to take on this unhealthy behavior unconsciously, but it can have an adverse effect on your body.
Constantly putting yourself into fight or flight mode can put you at risk physically. The stress of taking on any and every thing that goes wrong can be harmful in the long run. If someone punched you in the face, your senses will rightfully kick in, but if someone bumped in to you by mistake, that shouldn’t trigger the same reaction. You don’t want to put your body through that type of pressure when it’s not needed. It will eventually wear you down.
Think Before You React
What’s the first thing someone tells you to do when an emergency happens? Remain calm and breathe. It may not seem like the logical thing to do at the time, but it helps in many ways.
The slower you breathe, the more calm you’ll be. Also, when others see you are calm, it calms them down, too. Now, everyone can collectively think and make proactive decisions.
Exercising, or simply taking a walk, also helps by regulating your breathing. When things get out of control, you take a walk. This contributes to handling stress better. Again, it allows you to consider what’s going on more completely and gives you the chance to respond, respectfully.
Remaining calm takes practice. Various unforeseen circumstances can be a challenge to handle, but remember to be mindful of the moment and breathe. Don’t let a simple situation turn into a difficult dilemma. Be calm and live your peace.