How Winners Handle Stress
Most people think they need to remove stress to feel better and happier but the truth is stress will always be there.
The key to finding sustainability in your health, fitness, and overall happiness is learning how to manage it.
Everyone handles their stress differently.
Some people relax by having a few drinks or snacking, and some people use meditation or working out as a way to unload.
We all have our own idiosyncrasies.
Some routines help us become the person we want to be and some make it impossible for it to ever happen.
In the book "Atomic Habits," James Clear has a great way of pinpointing how to change habits.
If you want to change your
habits you have to change your identity.
Here's a quick story of how powerful your identity is.
Tammy has been a long-time smoker.
Today makes it a week she hasn't smoked.
For her break at lunch, she decided to step outside to enjoy the nice breeze and lovely weather.
"Want a smoke?" asked a co-worker.
"No thanks, I’m not a smoker" she responded.
The way she replied to her co-worker tells you exactly how strong Tammy’s decision to stop is.
If she answered with, "No thanks, I’m trying to stop smoking."
You can immediately hear the uncertainty.
Internally what “I’m trying to stop” means is, "This isn't something that will last because it's not yet a part of who I am."
Your old identity can sabotage your actions for change.
It’s hard to change your habits if you don’t change the beliefs that got you to where you a’re now.
True behavior change is identity change. What you do is a reflection of who you believe you are.
Your actions and habits are what truly change your identity.
The more you do something the more you become that person.
You need new evidence to prove to yourself.
You know exactly what triggers stress you out and make it difficult to stay consistent but the problem is you never have a plan to create a new routine so you fall victim to the power of automation.
No habit was congenital; it was created as you developed into the person you are now.
The good news is you can change any habit with deliberate intent.
Two Ways You Can Handle Your
Stress Better & Start Creating a Healthier Routine
1. Make an intentional plan for what you'll do when a stressor puts you into a cycle of poor decision making.
When "blank" happens I will do "blank".
Ex: when I come home from a long stressful day of work I will drink a big glass of water and listen to my audiobook instead of diving into the kitchen and eating everything in sight.
Having a plan doesn't mean you'll win every time, but it's highly unlikely you'll win without one.
2. Increase your exposure to positive cues by creating a positive environment.
Locations develop habits.
You can train yourself to develop a habit by controlling the environment.
It’s easier to build a habit in a new environment because you’re not fighting old habits.
Every habit should have a specific cue with a predictable environment.
If you want to get better habits, control where you do things.
Disciple people are better at controlling their environment.
The people with the best self-control are the ones who use it the least. Don’t wish you were a more disciplined person but rather create a new environment that makes it hard for you to veer off track.
Ex: if you have a routine of drinking a glass of wine every night when you sit in the living room to watch TV try reading a book in the room instead.
You'll find it easier to develop a new habit when you're not in a constant battle with a current one.
Winners Handle Stress Differently
Stress will always be present.
If you build a business, you’ll have more objectives that need to get done.
You create a family, you’ll have more people to provide for.
You take up a new skill, you’ll have to figure out how to balance it with the rest of your responsibilities.
As you grow, life doesn’t really slow down it just gets busier and different.
If you want to live your life to the fullest you don’t have time to continuously struggling with overcoming stressful obstacles because winners don’t.
A winner in my book is like an exuberant, well-planned Uber driver.
They get good at noticing detours or potential barriers that would delay the drive—before it even comes.
They use technology or their driving experience to make sure they are taking not only the fastest route but the best route.
And they make sure your environment is perfect for the experience you’re looking for. If you’re a talker they’ll talk but if you are looking to send out a few important text messages, they know when to shut up.
If you want to handle your stress better focus on developing a routine.
Create an intentional plan on how you'll do it and make positive reminders in a new environment to ensure you stick with it.
Stress will always be there. What you do after it knocks on your door will determine what you achieve and how you feel.
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