The following article is from "Mengubah Stres yang 'Sakit' Menjadi Stres yang Optimal dan Bermanfaat”
From the book "RINTISAN Volume 36"
Everyone has had an experience with stress at some point, no matter the age, occupation, and socioeconomic status that they might have. Some people associate stress as something negative, something that must be avoided if able. Yet, stress can be beneficial if you know how to manage it. We are able to use this feeling of stress into an experience to better shape ourselves. As such, we must try to understand and manage it. Here are a few steps that we can do to make the most of our stress:
1. Identifying and Describing Test
According to Psychiatrist Dan Siegel “Where attention goes, the flow and connection of nerves shall grow.” We need to recognize the stress before we are able to deal with it.
What triggers stress are unique to each person. What can cause stress to one person, may not affect another. Therefore, everyone has their own unique method on how to cope with stress. By recognizing and understanding the stress that we are feeling, the better we will be at managing it.
So, how exactly do we identify the stress that we are facing? We can start by answering these questions:
- How often do you feel well-rested in over the week?
How often do you enjoy your work? How long does it last? And at what time of the day does it happen? - Think about what caused you to feel stressed recently. How do you react to such things? What did you do?
- What is the biggest cause of stress in your life?
- In what conditions does stress from one part of your life seeps into another?
- How do you handle stress? Does it drain you, or help you recover?”
- How many signs of chronic stress have you experienced this week?
2. Creating Space to Improve Focus and Engagement
Working too hard or burnout is one of the causes of losing focus. As such, we need space and time to regain focus that we have lost. Here are a few ways to reduce distractions and improve focus:
- Set at least one hour each day for focused work.
- Turn off distracting notifications such as chats, emails, and place your phone out of sight so you can work peacefully.
- Set time limits for certain apps.
- Take short breaks to refresh your mind and regain focus.
