5 Steps to Help You Manage Stress

Although everyone encounters stress and frustration sometimes at work and at home, you can foster a more positive outlook by acknowledging small wins daily. Also, try to celebrate your progress along the way rather than waiting until the end. You can gain a sense of purpose and control by clarifying and acting on your personal values and creating a vision statement for your life.

For those who have felt stressed or overwhelmed by deadlines, cost-cutting, and unfinished projects, try to focus on the positive elements in your life.

“Start a log or journal of things that are going well and add a few specific items to it daily. Look at it often. Regardless of how many things you feel aren’t going well, force yourself to think about the things that are going well (at home and at work),” says an article from Entrepreneur.

This could be a productive meeting, a meaningful chat with a colleague, or something you learned in the professional development space. Anything is fair game for the list. The more you focus on the good, the more you’ll notice it everywhere.

The article says to celebrate along the way rather than only at the end. This keeps morale up among your team and ensures you don’t miss the small moments of joy throughout.

Set milestones and markers to help show your progress, and stay away from negative self-talk. Remember to give yourself grace. “It’s easier to feel comfortable and supportive of our decisions when we choose to frame them positively,” Entrepreneur says.

Hard times can feel easier when we remember our “why” and what makes us tick. A vision statement should be part of your daily life and posted in a prominent location. These work best when they are easy to put into practice. “We feel our best when we align our behavior and how we spend our time with what we say is most important,” the article says.

Finally, think about who you want to be in the future and what your core values are. If you start every day by thinking about this, you’ll feel a greater sense of control and clarity and be better able to navigate difficult situations in a better mood, according to Entrepreneur.

Here’s how to gain calm and focus instead of getting discouraged during the tough moments:

1. Make a list of small wins.
2. Don’t wait to celebrate.
3. Watch your language.
4. Tune into percentages.
5. Begin with the end in mind.