Since stress is all about the future, the real cure for stress is to live in the present. Here are some suggestions for doing this:
1. Meditate or pray every day.
When done correctly, meditation and prayer place your thoughts in the present. When you’re focused on your breathing, the energy flowing through your body, or the presence of God in your life, there’s no opening for stress to get inside you. These activities not only create a respite from stress, they help train your mind to remain “mindful.”
2. Set aside a daily time to plan.
Achieving goals is impossible without planning–and planning, by its very nature, involves imagining the future, including possible setbacks and problems. Limit your “future thinking” to a set time every day–and then spend the rest of your time executing the steps in your daily plan.
3. Detach yourself from results.
Though it’s true the business world is all about getting good results, such results are usually achieved through the execution of a well-thought-out plan. Therefore, once you’ve made a plan, put your attention on the steps, not on the outcome. Until events prove otherwise, trust that you’ve created (and are now executing) the best plan possible.
4. Observe what’s working (and what’s not).
As you take action, note which actions seem to be leading toward your goals and which seem to be leading you further away. Rather than getting stressed about your “failures” while they’re happening, use these notes to adjust your plan during your next planning session.
Do these steps take some practice and discipline? Absolutely. But the benefit–a largely stress-free working life–are well worth the effort.
