How to Manage Stress: 3 Tricks

Recently, I came across an article claiming that the root cause of all human diseases is stress. As humans transitioned from the hunter-gatherer era to agrarian societies and eventually to large-scale modern societal structures, the ability to react more sensitively to complex social dynamics and other external factors became crucial.

"Modern society has thoroughly socialized individuals from cradle to grave, as everyone belongs to numerous groups, large and small, throughout their lives, such as family, peers, school, military, religion, and workplace, influenced consciously or unconsciously by regulations from the state, media, broadcasting, etc."

Failure to be sensitive to impending cold weather might result in not harvesting crops in time. Similarly, not sensing subtle changes in promotion procedures due to the incoming of a new COO might hinder one's progress up the corporate ladder, jeopardizing their position and retirement.

Which explains why colleagues that excel at work or founders that build successful startups that I've met up until now all exhibited tendencies toward:

• hypersensitivity and/or

• neuroticism

In today's world, the ability to be more sensitive is one of the strong indicators for individuals who achieve greater success. While sensitivity often implies an overreaction to minor variables, or "pathologically" experiencing stress, it also means that we can adapt and thrive in ever-changing environments, reacting and optimizing at every moment.

Ultimately, becoming too numb or developing an insensitive personality isn't beneficial, just as suffering from extreme stress leading to a state of paralysis, inertia, depression, or hypersensitivity isn't favorable.

Stress seems indispensable to us. Just like guitar strings need to be taut to produce sound, if we can maintain stress at an appropriate level, we can unleash our desired melodies.

As an employee, and a startup founder, I want to introduce three stress management techniques I've learned over time.

Firstly, recognize your stress type.

it's about understanding the types of stress, or "meta-awareness."

Each person has a unique rhythm, influencing the types and intensities of stress they can withstand. Recognizing this is the first step in managing one's unique stress. For me, in the workplace, my J-type(MBTI) personality makes me sensitive to even minor schedule changes and leads me to fixate on tasks being completed to my satisfaction. In my outside-work life, stress arises from health issues or when I have tight budgets. Understanding these tendencies allows me to prepare in advance.

Secondly, cut off negative thoughts after a threshold.

When stress seems excessive, it's time to cut off thoughts that trigger overreactions. Doing so naturally stops the spiral of emotions. Often, we keep ruminating over specific thoughts that contribute to stress, forgetting that we can let go.

Most of the stress we feel stems from a perceived loss of control over situations. By cutting off these thoughts, we regain a sense of control. Stress management isn't about analyzing or avoiding situations; it's about regaining a sense of control through action.

Thirdly, remove any physical discomfort. Immediately.

If a situation or thought is causing emotional distress, a slight discomfort in specific body parts might be amplifying or lead to exaggerated interpretations of the situation. For me, the jitteriness after drinking coffee, hypersensitivity due to hunger, fatigue, or even headaches from wearing tight hats or airpods during commuting, accelerates stress. In such cases, it's crucial to promptly remove these physical stimuli. Exercise often proves helpful in many instances.

I believe that stress is something we should leverage and take advantage of. I am pretty sure there are many different ways to manage stress but these three stress management techniques have significantly improved the quality of my daily life, both personally and professionally.

So understand yours stressors, control negative thoughts, and minimize physical discomfort - 3 vital steps in achieving a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.