When I listen here and there, I notice that many people experience stress with the little things of everyday life. A single unexpected traffic jam can turn a whole day upside down. Of course, sometimes we experience things worse than traffic jams and it is normal to feel stress at that time.

However, those who have learned to manage their daily stress are, in my opinion, ahead of the game. You only have to think of the Olympic athletes, managing their stress becomes an incredible asset to their performance.

Even if we are not all Olympians, I still believe that we are all “athletes of life” and we must live as champions.

Among the situations that stress us, there are those over which we have some control and those over which we have no control at all.

Situations that can be controlled

So you have some control over certain situations and you need to exercise it. Your right to peace of mind deserves that you make the effort to use your power of control to avoid stressing yourself. Some ideas:

1. Prepare in advance. The stress of being last minute, forgetting something or being late disappears completely if you prepare in advance.
2. Plan for the unexpected. Insurance companies and governments are always building up financial reserves in case “unlikely but possible” things happen. Why not do the same? What never happens but could happen. Plan for it, just in case!
3. Let those around you know what they should do if something happens. This avoids having all the pressure on you. Don’t deal with stressful situations alone.
4. Have a plan B. Always have a back-up option(s). You never know. You’ll sleep better.
5. Take action. Do it! Prepare the four points above. Don’t just read them, apply them.

The unexpected

This is where it all happens at the emotional level. That is, managing your emotions when completely unpredictable situations happen to you. Some ideas:

• At first glance, things always look worse than they actually are. I’m sure you’ve already noticed this. We always tend to magnify the consequences of an unexpected situation. Why not tell yourself that it won’t be as bad as it seems.
• Lors d’imprévus, votre niveau d’intelligence et de créativité va se relever d’un niveau. C’est un fait reconnu. En situation de stress, tous nos organes et facultés sont « boostés » par l’adrénaline. Servez-vous en pour trouver des solutions qui vont vous aider à sortir de cette impasse.
• Use your positive creativity to solve or accept the situation. There are always two sides to every coin. It’s the same with stressful situations. Why not use your positive creativity to find the good side of the situation. There’s bound to be one.
• Think of other similar situations you have experienced in the past. Mentally, go back in your memory to recall other situations similar to the ones you are currently stressed about. In the end, you didn’t do so badly, did you? It will be the same with this one.
• Breathe, it will pass. Time always makes things better. Simon Blouin, a friend of mine speakers used to say: Sooner or later, you will laugh at the problems you are going through today. Why not laugh about it now!

In conclusion

Life offers us a multitude of opportunities in many forms. Sometimes these opportunities come from those famous unforeseen events that stress us so much. Why not use these stressful situations as a springboard to go further and higher.

In time, you may learn to live with the “wisdom of insecurity” and be happy no matter what happens.