{"id":4823,"date":"2017-08-31T13:05:12","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T17:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/queendomblog.wordpress.com\/?p=4823"},"modified":"2017-08-31T13:05:12","modified_gmt":"2017-08-31T17:05:12","slug":"tips-to-turn-pressure-into-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have MAJOR pet peeves when I’m driving. Like those people who cut across three lanes at the last minute to get off at an exit. Or drivers who don’t signal their thanks when you allow them to merge ahead of you. I really, really wish driving through traffic was like the game Mario Kart, where you can throw turtle shells at other cars so they get the heck off the road. Which leads me to the following million dollar question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question: <\/strong>When you’re under stress, how cathartic would it be to be able to tell an annoying person exactly what you think of them, allowing for every colorful swear word and insult you can think of? Like “You soggy bowl of cereal!” or “You grocery cart with a squeaky wheel!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer: <\/strong>Amazingly cathartic\u2026but incredibly tactless and likely to land you in trouble. Thankfully, there are better ways to bust stress without busting someone’s lip. Here are some great exercises to improve your coping skills<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise 1: Small changes make a big difference<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Take a look at your lifestyle and work habits. Is there anything you are doing that may be increasing your stress level? If so, try to implement some small modifications in your day-to-day habits. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Table<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exercise 2: Know your triggers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stress acts like tendrils of a vine: if you don’t get it under control, it will spread all over the place, affecting your work and your relationships. So it’s essential to nip stress in the bud. The first step: Uncover your stress triggers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without thinking about it too much, write down 10 things that stress you out at work or in your everyday life. Rank each stressor on a scale from 1 to 5 based on how often you are exposed to the stressor, and how much it impacts you in a negative way. When you’re done, multiply your frequency rating by the impact rating. Then rank your triggers according to their score. Essentially, the higher the score, the more debilitating the stressor. Once you know what stresses you out the most, you can either take action to reduce the stressor’s impact or develop effective coping strategies. Here’s my table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Table<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exercise 3: Progressive Relaxation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now that you’ve uncovered the stressors that make you want to curl up in a ball or punch everyone within reach of your fist, the next step is to learn how to release that stress in a healthy way. Deep breathing, although seemingly basic, has a significant impact on your stress level. Why? Deep breathing is physiologically incompatible with the adrenaline-pumping aspect of stress. This exercise can be done during at your desk, outside, in your car, or even while sitting on the toilet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Step 1: <\/strong>Sit comfortably.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Step 2: <\/strong>Focus your attention on the present. You can use a focal point, like the rise and fall of your diaphragm, a candle flame, a specific sound, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Step 3: <\/strong>Clear your mind (I know it’s easier said than done). If a thought slips in, don’t give it attention; just return your focus back to your focal point. You might end up having to recenter several times, but it will get better with practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Step 4: <\/strong>Take deep breaths. I would recommend downloading a breathing app or just finding a website online with an interactive breathing tool to get you started. Most will recommend either the 4-4-4 technique (breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds) or the 4-7-8 technique.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Step 5: <\/strong>Continue to breathe in an out, focusing on the rise and fall of your diaphragm. Do this for at least 5 minutes, 10 if possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Insightfully yours,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Queen D<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Feel like you’re one passive-aggressive text away from snapping? Tired of fake-smiling at people or pretending life’s great when the universe is being a jerk? Here’s how to keep your cool.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-health"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Feeling overwhelmed? Learn research-backed strategies to turn pressure into calm confidence\u2014at work, at home, or wherever life tests you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Feeling overwhelmed? Learn research-backed strategies to turn pressure into calm confidence\u2014at work, at home, or wherever life tests you.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Queendom blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-31T17:05:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"730\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"485\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"queendomblog\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"queendomblog\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823\",\"name\":\"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-31T17:05:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/96639818e5e5dc21586c48582a0bed9e\"},\"description\":\"Feeling overwhelmed? Learn research-backed strategies to turn pressure into calm confidence\u2014at work, at home, or wherever life tests you.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg\",\"width\":730,\"height\":485},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Queendom blog\",\"description\":\"Insight at your fingertips - www.queendom.com\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/96639818e5e5dc21586c48582a0bed9e\",\"name\":\"queendomblog\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control","description":"Feeling overwhelmed? Learn research-backed strategies to turn pressure into calm confidence\u2014at work, at home, or wherever life tests you.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control","og_description":"Feeling overwhelmed? Learn research-backed strategies to turn pressure into calm confidence\u2014at work, at home, or wherever life tests you.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823","og_site_name":"Queendom blog","article_published_time":"2017-08-31T17:05:12+00:00","og_image":[{"width":730,"height":485,"url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"queendomblog","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"queendomblog","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823","url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823","name":"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg","datePublished":"2017-08-31T17:05:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/96639818e5e5dc21586c48582a0bed9e"},"description":"Feeling overwhelmed? Learn research-backed strategies to turn pressure into calm confidence\u2014at work, at home, or wherever life tests you.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg","width":730,"height":485},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?p=4823#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Deal With Pressure: Real Tips to Stay Calm and in Control"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/","name":"Queendom blog","description":"Insight at your fingertips - www.queendom.com","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/96639818e5e5dc21586c48582a0bed9e","name":"queendomblog","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog"],"url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/?author=1"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/deep_breathing.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.queendom.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}