Stop Trying to Avoid Stress: Try These 7 Steps to Navigate Stress Instead by Kelli Porcaro

Stress can come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try to avoid stress, it somehow finds its way into your life. What would happen if we moved from trying to avoid stress, to embracing stress and finding a new way to navigate through it?

Mindfulness journals encourage strategies like deep breathing to eliminate stress in exchange for ease and comfort. This strategy, although helpful as a way to push pause on auto-pilot reactions to stress, implies that stress is bad and should be avoided. Neuroscience, however, would suggest something different. Here are seven ways to navigate stress:

• Acknowledge and name what you are feeling.

• Be curious about stress.

• Gain insight to how you automatically respond to stress.

• Say no to the auto-pilot reaction.

• Consider the consequences of your auto-pilot reaction.

• Identify your options.

• Choose to intentionally respond to stress.

Following these seven steps takes practice. You can start with paying attention to how you are feeling throughout the day and being curious about those feelings. Talk to someone about what you are learning about yourself. 

Learn more about ways to navigate stress!

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