From time to time, we can all feel that the demands of the modern world are a little too much. It’s easy to see why when there’s a slew of negativity being bombarded into our eyes and ears on a regular basis. The economic challenges, emotional challenges, and the default state of modern life can, in combination, threaten to overwhelm our abilities to thrive. Life is for living, but sometimes life can seem a tough slog, which is why it’s so important to learn how to cope using the right strategies. Here are the best actionable tools to meet the demands of a modern world.
The Side Hustle
As one of the biggest threats to our well-being is a financial one, it becomes essential to start looking beyond what we can realistically earn with a standard 9 to 5 job. Side hustles have commonly been touted as a solution and there are a variety of self employed ideas.
Side hustles should be enjoyable rather than a difficult second job you need to earn extra money. Look at it as a way of getting extra pocket money, so make sure you do something that is fun.
Identifying Your Stress Triggers
Stress is unique to the individual because it can stem from financial worries, emotional worries, relationship concerns, or just feeling under the weather in a psychological sense. Being able to meet the demands of the modern world is about recognising what stresses you out. It’s important to pay attention to various aspects of life and track stress patterns with some effective methods, including:
- Being aware of how stress manifests itself emotionally and physically. For example, irritability and anxiety are emotional manifestations, while difficulty breathing or tension in certain parts of the body can be signs of physical stress.
- Self-reflection, which can benefit us all when strong emotions like stress arise. Approaching these emotions with curiosity rather than judgement can give us insight into what may have triggered them.
- Mood journaling and tracking our emotions in a journal can help us recognise specific patterns. One of the key fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which retrains your thinking patterns, involves becoming aware of when a certain thought pattern arises. When you see certain patterns or triggers or the volume of specific thoughts written down, this can give you a better understanding of the specificities of your stress.
Practising Relaxation
We should engage in relaxation as a way to meet the demands of the modern world. Chronic stress can have an impact on our physical health, which is why prolonged anxiety should be tackled upfront. Many people look at stress reduction as only a response to a specific situation or heightened emotion. In order to feel the benefits of reduced stress, you have to practise relaxation. Effective tools for relaxation include:
- Meditation and/or mindfulness, for example, Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) , which is a tool that has been scientifically proven to replace lost sleep.
- Breathing techniques to stimulate the parasympathetic part of the nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” system.
- Stimulating the vagus nerve, which is also responsible for the body and mind’s ability to relax.
Active and Passive Coping Skills
Active coping skills involve taking action or changing a situation, such as problem-solving, and passive coping strategies involve disengagement on a mental and behavioural level, for example, withdrawal and denial, to reduce stress.
Studies suggest that the coping style can determine the body’s response to stress. Passive coping skills like taking a hot bath or deep breathing can help manage complex thoughts and feelings, and active coping skills can have a positive effect on the body’s reaction to stress in general.
Limiting Social Media and News
The last few years have caused a lot of stress and anxiety even for people who are not necessarily prone to it. One simple tool to deal with the demands of life is, very simply, to take breaks from it. Taking breaks from distressing news and setting limits on our social media use encourages us to take time out for ourselves.
Because we have a line to a constant drip feed of information, understanding what our upper limits are becomes critical to how we deal with stress in general. Not looking at social media and the news doesn’t have to be forever because, after all, it will still be there tomorrow.
It’s important to find coping tools that work best for the individual. Well-being encompasses our emotions and our physicality; addressing what is causing us stress will ensure that we are more proactive, but also have the tools at our disposal.