Keep Your Cool:
7 Tips

Mirjam Stoffels

Do you recognize this crown? From those red ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’-posters? A motivational poster by the British government in 1939 in preparation for World War II. The poster was intended to raise the morale of the British public.

Often easier said than done. What is the best way to keep your cool under pressure? How to get through each day with grace and peace of mind? How to move peacefully from one task to another with focused attention and a quiet, calm energy?

Why be calm? Because it feels fantastic. Anger and impatience wear out your heart, your mind and your family. When you are in control of your emotions, you get more done, you communicate better, and you lead a more productive, purposeful life.

 
Here are seven tips for keeping your cool and staying calm in all of life’s situations, both big and small!

 
#1
Don’t catastrophize
It’s easy to dramatize and make something a bigger deal than it is. Avoid the urge to magnify the negative. Strike the words ‘Always’ and ‘Never’ from your vocabulary and avoid asking yourself ‘What if?’. ‘What if?’ statements throw fuel on the fire of stress and worry. Things can go in a million different directions and the more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you’ll spend focusing on taking action that will calm you down and keep your stress under control.

 
#2
Breathe
Learn how to breathe properly. Practice being in the moment with your breathing. Shallow breathing means that the diaphragm muscles are not being used. The secret is to inhale deeply and then exhale slowly. As you do so, concentrate on the movement you feel and also repeat a mantra such as ‘breathe in’ and ‘breathe out’. You are now channelling your autonomic nervous system into much more productive activity which is extremely useful in fighting the panic response.

 
#3
Avoid negative people
Positivity is contagious, and so is negativity. Even if you are in control, you might loose your cool when you are surrounded by anxious, negative and cynical people. Learning how to avoid the drama of these people is crucial especially when preparing for an extra stressful event.

 
#4
Stay positive
Even if you are not surrounded by negative people, your brain might take you to a place where you don’t want—or need—to go. Give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Focus your brain’s attention onto something that is completely stress-free. When your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be a challenge. In these moments, think about your day [or yesterday or the day before yesterday] and identify one positive thing that happened, no matter how small.

 
#5
Realize that you can control your emotions
Reflect on times when you were able to successfully stay calm in a frustrating situation. Maybe it was a time when you wanted to yell at your spouse, the dog or your kids, but then the doorbell rang and you were able to instantly shift gears. Consider that you might be able to do this repeatedly, as long as you know your triggers [and these tips for keeping a calm mindset].

 
#6
Focus on the mind and spirit
Engage in a routine of meditation or prayer [depending on your spiritual tradition]. Practice yoga or just sit quietly for awhile. Developing peace of mind is a skill that will serve you well your whole life through. Learn techniques to help you get control over your monkey mind.

 
#7
Take care of the essentials
What steps are you taking to make sure that your body is going to perform well all day? That means looking after all the essentials such as diet, sleep, exercise, and relaxation. Did you know that if you have too many carbs in the morning, your blood sugar may fall? That can lead to bad temper. A daily workout can give you the physical release that can help you control your anxiety. And stay hydrated. Drink a tall glass of water and see if you feel better, more calm and alert.

 

 

 
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How about you?
How do you manage to keep your cool under pressure.?
Share your wisdom with us in the comment box below!!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, author of ‘Daily Little Secrets to Success’ and guest blogger at TEDxRoermond, Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, I want to inspire you with our content! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Let’s to connect! And do you want to inspire other women? Write for us!

 
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