Simple steps to tackle problems without feeling stressed

Have you ever been in one of those situations where it feels like everything is falling apart? It feels like too much to handle and the walls are closing in? The feeling of being overwhelmed; the inner monologue going “This is my doom. There’s no way I can handle this.”

Everyone gets those. The good news is, there are certain tried and tested methods to handle pressure better.

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Prioritise the tasks                     

More often than not, the cause for feeling overwhelmed is induced because there’s just too much to do. When this happens, take a pen and paper. List all the things you have to do. This ensures that you do not forget about them later and prevents the panic of missing something.

Once you have them listed, rank them by order depending on their urgency and importance. Then you go by the numbers, complete one task at a time, and check it off the list. The reason for doing this is to ensure that the most time-sensitive tasks are finished first. Thus, removing the chance of creating further catastrophe. If you have to cook and finish a writing assignment, the wise decision would be to do the assignment first since it has a deadline!

Break it down

If you have one very difficult problem, break it down into smaller tasks. Instead of just trying to solve it all at once, if you break it down into tasks, you can finish them one by one and get close to solving the problem. If you try to deal with the whole situation at one go, chances are the magnitude of the problem might overwhelm you. Turning the issue into tasks reduces the fear factor and helps you stay calm.

Consider your final thesis. I don’t know a single person who did not freak out over their thesis. It’s a huge task to finish. However, instead of trying to do as much as possible together, you should break it down into tasks like: Data analysis, looking for relevant papers, writing the methodology, creating the slides, etc. Multi-tasking is a very useful ability, but it does not always work for everyone.

Remember, one problem at a time!

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Is it in your hands?

Whenever you are in a crisis and starting to feel the heat of panic, ask yourself this: Is it in your hands? Is there something you can do about it? If it is in your hands, if you can do something about it, then there really is no reason to panic. You should start working to improve the situation. So, take a deep breath, actually, take three deep breaths, and get to it.

If it is not in your hands, then panicking would not help. What it will do, however, is waste time and take your mind off other important things. Unfortunate as it is, if the situation is no longer in your hands, then say your prayers, hope for the best, brace for the worst and get to the next task to avoid disaster in the future.

This simple change in perspective will help you calm down more than you realise.

Write it down or discuss it

Sometimes, the situations are so dire that conscious thoughts do not seem to work. In such situations, write down your problems in your notebook and then read them later. This gives a sense of clarity, and many times, this will give you ideas about how to deal with your problem. You can also discuss the situation with trusted friends or partners. This helps bounce ideas. Sometimes, just thinking out loud will give you an idea that otherwise will not occur to you. And getting the problems out in the open has a surprisingly soothing effect.

Remember, inside your mind, the issues always appear worse than they actually are. If you freak out, the situation will only deteriorate. So, learn your breathing exercises, talk to your friends, stay hydrated and focus. You will be fine!