When you look at stress in the long-run you’re no longer ‘dealing’ with it but merely ‘managing’ it. If you’re prepared to become stressed then you won’t be shocked when it hits. These are some thoughts I’ve compiled:

Develop phyiscal resiliency: Many sources suggest a healthy, controlled diet. Some things include eating less sugar, reducing caffeine consumption and avoiding alcohol. Personally, I don’t drink nor consume much caffeine so this could be one reason why I never become as stressed as my coffee-inhaling peers. Additionally, I’ve read a lot about eating a healthy variety of foods. Nutritionists often recommend the following:

• 5 or 6 servings of fruit and vegetables
• 4 servings of bread or cereal
• 2 servings of milk, cheese or yogurt; and
• 2 servings of protein such as meat, eggs and beans

This is a big area I could improve. I’ll be starting a personal journal to monitor my eating habits but in the meantime, Askmen.com has a list of the top 10 stress reducing foods.

Develop psychological resiliency: The simplest way to overcome stress is to develop ‘hardiness’ (The Hardy Executive). I’ve realized that I am a very ‘hardy’ individual. For many, it’s easy to feel like they’re losing control. This may be due to any number of things (competitive drive, impatience, etc.) which often compose someone with an ‘A Personality’. The problem, though, is these things typically compound the problem. On the other hand, someone who’s hardy often approaches stressful situations optimistically. But, it’s not entirely clear what hardiness is. According to Developing Management Skills (Whetton) hardiness results from:

• feeling in control of one’s life, rather than powerless to shape external events;
• feeling committed to and involved in what one is doing, rather than alienated from one’s work and other individuals; and
• feeling challenged by new experiences rather than viewing change as a threat to security and comfort.

This really isn’t that easy to accomplish but somehow it’s the mentality I’ve developed over the years. Perhaps just by considering the definition alone one can strive to achieve ‘hardiness’. I wish I knew, though…

I honestly feel my psychological resiliency sums up why I never become stressed. Would you tend to agree, Shivani? Hey, I’m starting to eat a bit better too, I bet that helps…