4a’s Stress is something natural and a vital part of our lives. However, it’s alarming when it happens to take a toll on your mind and body. I know all of us read numerous blog posts, try different tactics to deal with the stress, and so on.
However, have you ever researched about 4 a’s of stress management? If you haven’t, then you may be missing a massive help related to stress management. Yes, with 4a’s, you can expand your stress management toolkit because it allows you to control the stressors, cope with them, or both.
Read on to learn more about 4as. You can use one or all four strategies to cope with the inevitable stress. But before we move on to our main section, let’s try to understand; what is stress management?
What is Stress Management?
Stress not only wreaks havoc on your mental health but affects your physical health. However, with stress management tools, you can meet the challenges head-on. What does stress management mean? Stress management comprises several techniques that aim to control and cope with stress levels and are beneficial for improving everyday functioning.
Understand the 4 A’s of Stress Management
Unrolling the 4 a’s of stress management:
#1 Avoid
It’s not easy to avoid stress in some situations because stressors at times tend to boost our performance or are a part of our lives. But, avoiding unnecessary stress indeed soothes our mind and body and helps in keeping a balanced life. You can escape the stressors by planning ahead or carrying a lighter workload. Try the following:
Learn to Say No: Sticking to your limits will help you avoid stress because taking on more than you can handle triggers stressors. Saying no to extra workload and social activities is a mantra we all should practice for mental health.
Be In Charge of the Surroundings: Taking control of your surroundings is one of the best ways to cope with daily life stressors. For instance, if traffic is something that drives you nuts then, taking a longer route or leaving early for work can help you escape those overwhelming feelings.
Avoid Stress Welcoming People: Distancing yourself from the people who are the continuous source of the stress helps relieve the tension.
Try Prioritizing Your To-Do List: Making a schedule of your daily tasks helps your mind let go of the stressful thoughts and helps you stay on the right track. Every time you are done with the task, scratch it off from the list to feel accomplished.
#2 Alter
Often, we fail to avoid stressors in our daily lives. So, what does that supposed to mean? Are we going to allow it to take a toll on us? NO, certainly not but, what can we do about it? It is time to allow the second A to take over – that is, ALTER. Yes, by altering the way we operate and communicate in our lives, we can avoid stressful situations.
Stop Bottling Up Your Feelings Instead Express them Out: Say what you feel, don’t hold back yourself because “Honesty is the best policy.” Be open while communicating your concerns; otherwise, resentment will build what ultimately causes stress.
Having a Balanced Schedule: Stuffing ourselves more than what we are capable of not only reduces efficiency but affects our mental health. Thus, grouping similar work tasks, phone calls, and other daily tasks enhance an individual’s efficiency, and on top of that, it allows you to enjoy some extra time.
Respectfully Ask Others to Alter Their Behavior: Are you tired of being mocked or treated like you are nobody? Then, try to address your concerns or problems that have been bothering you lately. Conveying your issues help others understand your emotions and when not to cross the line. However, it’s equally important to listen to other’s opinions on your bothering behavior as well.
State Limits Beforehand: Stating your limits before getting into long conversations helps avoid hard feelings. You can inform others beforehand that you won’t be able to talk for long and have work to do.
#3 Accept
It is no surprise that some stressful situations are entirely unavoidable. Accepting such stressful circumstances aren’t easy but, railing against something that you cannot change is harder. Hence, accepting those things and moving on in life eases much of the stress.
Share Your Feelings: Expressing your feelings and thoughts is very therapeutic, even when nothing seems to alter the stressful circumstances. Talking with a trusted person about what stresses you not only makes you feel better but helps you cope with it.
Learn to Forgive: Nobody is perfect in this world, and we all make mistakes but, letting go of your anger and resentment is what helps you keep a well-balanced life. Yes, it takes practice to forgive; however, forgiving happens to release negative energies from your mind.
Learn From the Mistakes: Always look for the upside! Mistakes are a part of your life and are usually used as teachable moments/opportunities for personal growth. Instead of self-loathing, reflect on your mistakes and learn from them.
Practice Positive Self-Talk: One negative thought leads to another, and boom, you are stuck in a loop of negative thoughts. But, practicing positive self-talk helps you maintain objectivity and reduces stress.
#4 Adapt
Adapting involves changing your expectations that in turn helps in lowering the stress levels. Consider the following approaches:
Practice Gratitude: When stress is weighing you down, nothing brings you joy; however, practicing gratitude works wonders. Reflecting on those happy events, achievements, and experiences helps to keep things in perspective and calms your mind.
Reframe Your Problems: Try to look at things from a different perspective when it comes to lowering stress levels. For example, enjoy some time listening to your favorite song instead of worrying about being stuck in a traffic jam.
Adjust Your Standards: Running after perfectionism often causes worry and stressful situations. Hence, try to set reasonable standards for yourself and learn to be happy with what you have.
Practice Mantra: Reciting positive words/sentences such as “I CAN DO THIS” boosts your confidence and helps you deal with stressful situations.
Practicing Thought-Stopping: Putting a stop to negative thoughts and refusing to replay them in mind may cause them to be less stressful.
Practicing the above 4a’s will help you balance the stress equation, as they say, “Practice Makes the Man Perfect.” Apart from that, here are some other very effective ways to manage stress.
Stress Management Images
Did you know that you can reduce stress levels by merely looking at patterns and images? Yes, you can. Calming your mind boils down to an individual’s preferences; there is research suggesting that the above notion is true.
Seascapes
Have you ever noticed that almost all of us like going to beaches while holidaying? Probably because seascapes soothe and calm our mind by pulling together a natural environment and blue waves creating fractal patterns.
Cute Images
It will probably come as no surprise that images of adorable kittens and other baby animals bring a smile to people’s faces – great for managing stress.
Natural Green Spaces
According to the experts, looking at greenery or natural landscapes helps in relaxing our minds. But, if you want to knock the stress management game up a notch then, going for a walk will be of great help.
The Blue Color
According to the studies, looking up at the blue sky or gazing over a beautiful blue-colored stream – gives a calming effect that soothes our mind 4a’s.
Natural Fractals
As per the research studies, there are certain types of fractals that we see in nature. For instance, the spiral of the aloe vera plant or inside of the seashells soothes our mind.
Wrapping Up
Stressors are both good and bad. Practicing one or any of the 4 A’s of stress management provides balance for a happier and healthier life. Staying consistent will help you master the trick that once seemed like a heavy backpack.
Check out These Too:
