Everyone of us deals with stress at some point, but how we deal with stress determines how successful we will be.
Here are 7 ways successful people beat stress.
1. They are Positive
Successful people are inherently positive, which gives them the staying power to get through the tough times and eventually succeed. This doesn’t mean they’re all skipping around whistling ‘I’m Walking on Sunshine’, but whether they’re successfully running a small business or a multi-billion-dollar company, most will tell you that it all comes down to staying thankful.
A common trait amongst those who succeed is that during every stage on their road to success they are always thankful for what they already have. Rather than feeling deflated by what they have not yet achieved, they tend to be thankful for what they already have. Taking stock and being thankful for what you have on a regular basis trains you to be a more positive thinker, which leads to a much more successful mind-set and allows you to identify opportunities instead of only seeing potential pitfalls.
2. They Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Successful people know when to laugh it off. The don’t weigh themselves down with every failure or setback, because that just keeps them from getting over the next hurdle. This doesn’t mean they ignore all negatives, but instead they see setbacks as an opportunity to learn and improve.
This is by no means easy, as most people are naturally inclined to be discouraged when things go wrong. Many successful entrepreneurs admit to allowing themselves some time to ‘mourn’ a failed venture or project before taking what they’ve learnt from the experience and moving forward. They keep the big picture in mind, so that even a disastrous outcome can be seen as positive as long as they learnt from it.
According to Benji Rabhan, founder & CEO of Apollo Scheduling, “I personally like watching 5-6 short YouTube comedy videos that get me laughing out loud. I’ve found that this is enough time to take my mind off bad news and regain my positivity.”
3. They’re Organized
Successful people are super-organized – they control the controllable in order to stay flexible for the curveballs.
President Barack Obama told Vanity Fair that, “you’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” He mentioned research that shows the simple act of making decisions degrades one’s ability to make further decisions. It’s why shopping is so exhausting. “You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.”
Whether they’re running a country or a small business from home, successful people know the value of having an organized space where they can knuckle down and focus.
4. They Rely on Routines
Successful people create routines to bring some order to the chaos of daily life, especially with the demands of modern communication. A major cause of stress is having to make too many decisions at the same time. It doesn’t matter what these decisions relate to, if there are too many, your brain interprets the situation as a type of ‘danger’ and immediately puts your body on high-alert and causing stress. In short, this means complete loss of focus.
People who go on to succeed rely on workout routines and habits to minimize such situations. They identify all recurring tasks (things that you have to do every day or week), and then do them at the same time every day or week. They plan ahead and train themselves to stick to their schedules, which results in them building successful habits.
5. They Know How to Prioritize
Successful people know where to draw the line between their professional and business lives – and they also know which is more important. According to Sir Richard Branson, founder at Virgin Group: “By focusing on the things I am passionate about, having fun, enjoying some downtime, and prioritizing the things I care about the most (my family and my health), I have been able to avoid having a work-life balance burnout.”
To be fair, this is always easier said than done as anyone with ambition will feel they can take a break ‘later’. The secret to success, however, is accepting the fact that you will burn out, which could end up costing you a lot more than a relaxing weekend away.
There are a million tips out there for finding the right work-life balance and they can be extremely helpful in helping you devise your own action-plan. Anyone who has achieved some form of success will tell you that it’s crucial to find the right balance that works for you. There may be some trial and error, but it’s vital to achieving your goals.
6. They Find an Outlet
Most successful people have an outlet for their stress and anxiety. An outlet is not the same as taking a break or spending time with family – it is a specific time / activity where they focus on working out any pent-up stress or anxiety.
The options are endless, but all successful people have found an outlet that works for them, whether it’s walking their Pomeranian, cooking, playing a round of golf or jumping on the trampoline. They have mastered the art of channelling all their focus and energy into their ‘stress buster’ of choice. This goes hand-in-hand with creating good routines and habits and is essential for managing stress on the road to success.
7. They Keep it Real
The common thread in all these tips and examples is that successful people know how to keep it real. They’ve learned how to take a step back and to not always take themselves too seriously. They know that perspective is valuable.
About the author: Janet Miller is a health practitioner, mom of four, yogi and longtime journalist. She writes extensively and has been featured on MindBodyGreen, The Huffington Post and Fast Company. Connect with Janet @janetmiller168
