If you ask ten people what happiness means to them, you’re likely to receive ten different responses. Being happy isn’t necessarily about feeling ecstatic every single day. Many people associate happiness with a sense of calm and being in the world without too many stresses. It’s not possible to remove all stress from your life, but it is possible to take steps to prevent issues from arising and giving you peace of mind:
The Worst Case Scenario: If worrying about what may or may never happen is one of your problems, this directive may seem strange. However, if we think of the thing that we fear the most and accept it, then take the necessary steps to a better outcome, we can go on with our life. At least it may lift the worry a little. In his book, ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living’, Dale Carnegie outlines this strategy of trying to accept the worst case scenario.
Sometimes, despite all of our best efforts, things go wrong. Relationships fail and household disasters occur. All we can do is to mitigate the risk as much as possible and act quickly. Putting a plan in place is also helpful. So, if your power goes off at 9 pm on a Friday evening, having an after hours electrician in your address book will provide a quick and simple solution. Or, if you fear being late for work, make a strategy to help yourself to leave early to beat the morning traffic and arrive with time to spare.
Health Woes: We all want to protect our families and those closest to us and this may lead to fears over health. We never know what life is going to throw at us. Even the healthiest people such as marathon runners and surgeons get ill. All we can do is take steps to lead a balanced and healthy life to prevent illness from occurring.
Getting Things Done: Another common source of stress is how to get everything done. This includes work, home, and even getting the kids to school on time. Usually, these fears are at their most active when you’re doing too much. This leads to exhaustion which just exacerbates the problem. The best way to tackle this is to write down all of the tasks you have to complete each day. Next to the items write down the outcome or benefit you receive from these tasks. If it turns out you’re spending all of your time working on projects or items that don’t generate results, it could be time to make some adjustments.
If you’re spending too much time at work and still getting nowhere, you may need to review this with your boss. This could involve receiving extra training or delegating to a colleague. It may involve a tricky conversation about what hours you are prepared to work and where the line is drawn.
Learning To Troubleshoot: Possessing excellent problem solving skills is often an effective way of reducing your anxieties. Once you have learned this technique, you can use it in almost all situations. First, write down your problem. Next, analyze it and look at it from all angles. Be specific and outline exactly what the problem is. Then, provide several solutions for the problem and analyze each one. What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages? Now, decide which solution you’re going to adopt and when you’re going to put it into practice. If you’re good at resolving problems, you’re less likely to worry as you’ll understand that there is nothing that can’t be fixed.
If you’re a natural worrier, finding peace of mind may seem like finding the holy grail. But, with the right mindset and a few simple techniques, this is certainly possible.
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