Critically Thinking about Stress

We are all subject to stresses — so how do we effectively deal with them?

Jan 18, 2023

Despite the fun holiday aspect of this season, it is also a high stress time. Additionally, almost everything about the direction our society is taking, is also stressful.

Some superior ideas about reducing stress that you should give some critical thought to are: here, here, here and here.

Naturally, I’m going to look at this challenge a bit differently. Who am I to put forward de-stressing ideas? Well, besides being a confirmed critical thinker, I’m actively involved in an exceptional collection of diverse societal issues — from Climate to COVID, from Education to Elections, from Renewables to Religion, etc.

The only way I’ve been able to have a modicum of success (while not losing sanity and still being an optimist), is that I consciously take several steps to reduce the incessant stress I’m continually immersed in.

I’m sharing the ideas below as they have worked for me. You can decide for yourself (using critical thinking) as to whether they would be helpful to you. Note that although some sound obvious and simple, the question is: are you really doing them?

1 - Prioritize within a subject area. This is a necessary life-long commitment to those who have a lot on their plate, and want to be successful at a reasonable number of them. For example, I get 200-300 emails a day, so there is no way that I can spend the time necessary to fully read and consider each of these. The solution is that I scan each one, and delete those that are duplicates, not of interest to me, not credible, etc. Then I answer the remainder, categorizing them by topic, whether I’m waiting for a reply, urgency, etc.
2 - Prioritize between subjects. This means when you are at a fork-in-the-road, reflect on which takes priority: your soul, your health, your family, your financial situation, your job, your country, etc. Like #1, if you want to minimize stress, and maximize success and happiness, this is also a life-long requirement.
3 - Do Not Over-Commit. This might be considered a corollary of the above. There are only so many hours in the day, so be careful when committing to projects, etc. Yes, their worthiness is part of the consideration, but your available time and health are also critical elements. The fact is that you can NOT do a quality job if you accept every worthwhile project proposed to you.
4 - Pay attention to Dietary Health. This starts with having a nutritious balanced diet. I also add select vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements. Yes, the Science behind some of these is light, but the downsides of taking one of these I don’t really need (e.g., Vitamin D, COQ10, etc.) is minuscule.
5 - Get adequate Sleep. There is a lot more to this than I can cover here. I believe in working hard, playing hard and resting hard. Almost every day I try to schedule a 30± minute nap. Another thing I have found useful is how I handle periodically waking up too early (e.g., 3 AM) and not being able to go back to sleep. For me it’s almost always because I have some good ideas that are bouncing around in my head, which I’m unable to just put aside. What I do is to get up and write down what I’m thinking about. Then I go back to bed, and it’s easier to go back to sleep since this is no longer occupying my thoughts.
6 - Do Daily Exercise. At the end of most days, I go for a 30 minute walk. If it’s raining I have a stepper that I use. I also do some pushups, etc. during the day.
7 - Schedule Unwind Activities every day. After the walk, I watch Judge Judy or The Five — while having a beer (Blue Moon). This has proven to be very effective at tempering the non-stop demands I’ve had all day.
8 - Schedule periodic Enjoyable Diversities during the day. For example, I enjoy playing bridge, so when things get to be too much, I take 15 minutes to play a few hands of free, interesting bridge online. I also try to schedule a round of golf every week or so. Being outdoors on a nice day for a few hours, thinking about something very different, has been a helpful de-stressor for me. Additionally, I chauffeur the princess on periodic rides, which is mutually enjoyable.
9 - Utilize Music. Music can be a powerful relaxer. For example, when I play golf I often have earbuds where I listen to some of my favorite music: Enigma, Yanni, Enya, David Arkenstone, Alan Parsons, Moody Blues, E.S. Posthumus, etc.
10-Schedule a periodic Massage. I get an hour long massage every 3 weeks or so. It’s a healthy practice that I look forward to. I also put together my own CDs of relaxing music I like, and my talented, friendly massage therapists (one in NC and one in NY) are pleased to play them.
11-Know when you are the Most Effective. It may not be obvious but our productivity level differs throughout the day. In my experience there is some type of daily circadian cycle. After paying attention to this, I have the most insights and creativity first thing in the morning. Knowing that I schedule my time accordingly.
12-Have a Written Schedule. Trying to remember what you would like to do tomorrow and next Tuesday, is an ineffective strategy, that overloads your brain and adds stress. I make up my own daily schedule of special things planned. I do this on a word processor document, and have it filled in for the next two plus weeks. Every Saturday, I extend it another week. It’s easy to see forward, easy to edit, and I almost never forget anything important. I also don’t worry (stress) about it.
13-Have a Positive, Upbeat Attitude. Start with adopting the half-glass perspective. In other words, decide on which part you want to focus on: what you have or what you don’t have? That simple but profound change in perspective has a LOT to do with stress. More good results go to positive people.
14-Minimize Associating with Downers. There are quality people out there who are optimistic, upbeat, open-minded, creative, have similar values, etc. So why waste time on the negative group (worriers, complainers, etc.), as they are big-time stressors? Associate with people who bring the best out of you!
15-Keep things in Perspective. God has a plan. If you are on good terms with the Big Guy, what’s to worry about?

Although the above ideas have worked for me, I certainly don’t claim that this is an exclusive list. Pay attention to stress and be creative about solutions. If you have any good ideas, please put them in the comments below.

Have a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year!

Critically Thinking About Select Societal Issues

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