8 Strategies Used By Successful People To Stay Calm.

Success is strongly correlated with the capacity to remain composed under stress. I offer 8 tactics in this piece, which was first published on LinkedIn Pulse, that you can use right away.

Your performance directly correlates with your capacity to control your emotions and maintain composure under pressure. More than a million people participated in our research at TalentSmart, and the results show that 90% of top performers are adept at controlling their emotions under pressure in order to remain composed and in charge.

Research on the detrimental effects of stress on one's physical and mental health is startling (such as this Yale study, which found that prolonged stress causes degeneration in the area of the brain responsible for self-control). The tough thing about stress is that it's a completely necessary emotion, along with the worry that goes along with it. Since this emotional state must be felt to some extent before we can act, this is how our brains are designed. In actuality, moderate degrees of stress cause heightened activation, which boosts performance. It's safe as long as the stress isn't kept up for too long.

The ten best stress-reduction techniques that successful individuals use are listed here, however I've come across many others. Some of these strategies might seem apparent, but the real difficulty is in knowing when to employ them and having the ability to do so in spite of your stress.

1. They rest.

The value of sleep in boosting emotional intelligence and stress management has been overstated throughout the years, but I still can't emphasize it enough. Your brain essentially recharges while you sleep, going over the events of the day and either storing them or deleting them (which results in nightmares), allowing you to wake up alert and focused.

When you don't get enough-or the correct kind of sleep-you suffer from diminished self-control, attention, and memory. Lack of sleep increases stress hormone levels on its own, even in the absence of a stressor. Taking the time to get a good night's sleep is frequently the only thing keeping you from getting things under control while you are working on stressful undertakings.

2. They cut off.

It is clear that taking regular breaks from technology might assist you maintain stress control given the significance of keeping stress intermittent. You subject yourself to an ongoing assault of pressures when you are available to your work around-the-clock. Your body gets a break from an ongoing source of stress when you make an effort to disconnect from the internet and even, gasp!, turn off your phone. An email break, for example, has been found in studies to reduce stress.

3. They value what they already have.

Not only is it healthy to think about your blessings, but it's also the "proper" thing to do. Due to the 23% reduction in cortisol, a stress hormone, it also elevates your mood. According to research from the University of California, Davis, people who make a daily effort to cultivate thankfulness report feeling happier, more energised, and more physically well. Lower cortisol levels probably played a significant part in this.

4. They consume little caffeine.

Adrenaline is released when caffeine is consumed. The "fight-or-flight" reaction, a survival mechanism that compels you to either stand up and fight or flee when confronted with a threat, is brought on by adrenaline. The fight-or-flight reflex bypasses reason in favor of a quicker reaction.

When a bear is pursuing you, this is terrific, but it's not so great when you're replying to an acerbic email. Your emotions take control of your conduct when caffeine puts your brain and body into this hyperarousal state of tension. Caffeine's extended half-life guarantees that it takes its sweet time leaving your body, which results in stress that is far from intermittent.

5. They remain optimistic.

By drawing your mind's attention to an activity that is entirely stress-free, positive thoughts can help make tension infrequent. By intentionally choosing an uplifting thought to dwell on, you need to assist your rambling mind. You can refocus your attention by thinking anything uplifting.

This is really simple to do when everything is going well and you are in a good mood. It can be difficult to do this when things are going wrong and your mind is racing with unhappy ideas. Think back over your day at this time and choose one good event that occurred, no matter how tiny. If you're at a loss for something to think about right now, consider the day before, or even the week before.

6. "What if" questions are not raised.

The use of "what if" scenarios feeds anxiety and tension. There are countless possible outcomes, so the more time you devote to worrying about them, the less time you'll have to concentrate on finding solutions that will help you relax and keep your stress under control. What-if questions only lead to a location that calm individuals are aware they don't need to or want to go.

7. They take breaths.

Breathing, which you must do every day, is the simplest approach to reduce stress. Your brain will start to learn to concentrate only on the task at hand if you regularly practice being present with your breathing. This will help you get rid of the stress monkey on your back. Spend a few minutes concentrating on your breathing while you're under stress. Just sit in a chair, breathe, and shut the door. Put everything else away.

8. They stop self-talk that is unfavorable.

Stopping negative self-talk in its tracks is a huge step in stress management. Negative thoughts gain power as you dwell on them more. Most of our unfavorable thoughts are just that-thoughts, not actual events. It's time to pause and write down your inner voice's gloomy and negative thoughts when you catch yourself thinking them.

Stop what you're doing right now and write down what you're thinking. You will be able to assess the truth of your thoughts with more reason and clarity once you have taken a moment to reduce the negative momentum of your thoughts.