We’re living in a world where everyone always seems to be uptight and stressed out.
I know that you’d like to walk around with a carefree mindset, but the reality is that most of the time you have too many responsibilities to manage and too much on your mind.
You can’t let this stress hinder your success.
Winners know how to stay calm in almost every circumstance. In the United States alone, more than 100 million people watched the Super Bowl each year for the last eight years.
With so many eyes on them, how are these players able to succeed?
Walmart has more than 2.3 million employees across the globe. So how is Doug McMillon, the company’s CEO, able to run a successful operation with so many people to manage?
The ability to stay calm is one of the most important character traits of successful people.
Life is a constant test to see how bad you still want to win.
[bctt tweet=”Life is a constant test to see how bad you still want to win.” username=”LarryWeidel”]
You can’t let stress, anxiety, and fear hold you back from accomplishing great things. It takes time to build toughness and strength to perform under pressure.
Give yourself time to develop and mature. The mind takes a while to build mental toughness.
If you don’t think that you have what it takes to stay calm, that’s the wrong mindset. Don’t sell yourself short.
I’ll explain what you need to do in your own life to stay calm in nearly any circumstance. Once you apply these concepts to your life, it will be easier for you to become a winner.
Say No to Negative Thoughts
Practice positive thinking.
Do you see the glass half-empty or half-full?
It’s a simple decision. It’s a simple choice you can make. Here’s what I mean.
Winners find a way to have a positive outlook, regardless of the circumstances. It’s related to the concept of an abundance mindset versus a poverty mindset—the positive versus the negative.
[bctt tweet=”Winners find a way to have a positive outlook, regardless of the circumstances.” username=”LarryWeidel”]
Throughout my life, I’ve recognized that positive thinking can help people achieve greatness.
Think about something that happened to you recently that caused you stress. Look back at how you could have done things differently if you thought positively.
In life, we’re going to have to overcome some hurdles and difficult times.
Did you recently lose your job? Rather than stressing out about your bills and how you’re going to make ends meet, look at this as an opportunity to pursue something that you’re passionate about.
You’re in the game of life until your last breath.
You can ignore it, deny it, give up, and not make any effort. You can be overwhelmed about all of this—but regardless, the clock continues to tick, and you are still in the game.
If you make a habit of practicing positive thinking, you’ll be able to remain calm when you encounter difficult circumstances.
Schedule Time for Yourself
Whenever you get overwhelmed, take that as a signal that you need a break to recover and get reorganized. That gives you the chance to get back in control of your schedule.
When you are overwhelmed, your schedule has taken over, and you are no longer in control.
One of the reasons why people get so stressed out is because they feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. They feel like they have a million tasks to complete, and they spend all day trying to get through those tasks.
But there’s a big difference between being busy and being productive.
Winners know how to be productive and still manage to find time for themselves. The best way to do this is by adding time for leisure on your schedule as if it were a meeting or appointment.
Learn the best ways to make your downtime more effective.
This is your chance to do something that makes you happy and take your mind off of things.
Go for a walk in the park. Ride your bike. Read a book. Go to the gym.
If you make time for yourself every day, it will help keep your mind off of things that normally cause you stress. When you get back to work or the task at hand, you’ll be able to approach it from a different angle with a clean mind.
Make Getting a Good Night’s Sleep a Priority
How well do you sleep at night?
When it comes to sleep patterns, you’ll get different answers depending on who you ask. But with that said, the general consensus is that you need seven to nine hours of sleep per night to function at high levels during the day.
Take this seriously. No kidding. This is a big deal.
If you’re not getting a good night’s sleep, you put yourself at risk for one or more of the many dangers of sleep deprivation.
(Image Source: https://brandongaille.com/21-sleep-deprivation-statistics-in-college-students/)
As you can see, people who don’t sleep enough have higher levels of anxiety and depression.
Not sleeping well also puts you at a higher risk for health conditions such as:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Breast cancer
- Stroke
At least once per month, roughly 40% of adults fall sleep during the day without meaning to. If this sounds like you, you’ve got to prioritize healthy sleep.
Get in the habit of going to sleep at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. Turn off your phone, TVs, computers, and other electronics when you get in bed.
You’ll wake up feeling refreshed and able to take on the day stress-free.
Stop Depending on Caffeine for Energy
Reduce your caffeine intake. Stop drinking so much coffee.
I talk to people on a daily basis who say things like, “I need my coffee to function.”
No, you don’t. You just think that you do.
The Ohio State University recently conducted a study about caffeine and its relationship to stress. The findings were pretty astonishing.
Caffeine caused the subjects of this study to create more than double the levels of cortisol and epinephrine in their bodies, which are both factors of the stress response.
Consumption of caffeine can reduce blood flow to your brain by up to 27%.
Some of the side effects of caffeine include:
- Being nervous
- Anxiety
- Jitters
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- High blood pressure
All of these things will make it extremely difficult for you to stay calm.
Am I saying that winners don’t drink coffee? Absolutely not. I’m just saying you need to limit your caffeine intake and don’t rely on this substance to function.
Stick to Your Routine
There’s a reason you have a routine, so stick to it. You can’t finish a race unless you stay on track.
I know what it’s like to have a busy schedule. As I said before, this is definitely something that can contribute to stress and anxiety.
But don’t let all of your tasks run your life. Remember to stay calm.
Otherwise, you’ll spend more time worrying about what you have to do as opposed to actually doing what you need to do.
Arrive to work at the same time each day. Schedule a time for checking and reviewing your emails.
Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time every day. Don’t forget to include time for yourself, which I previously discussed.
If you stick to your routine, you’ll only be focusing on one thing at a time. Then you won’t feel overwhelmed, and it will help you stay calm.
Take Care of Your Body
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If you don’t, no one else will. This is the machine you use to motor through life.
The more you use it, the more you should take care of it.
If you can enhance your physical abilities, your mind will improve as well.
That’s why you need to take care of your body.
There are no excuses. There are plenty of answers and resources provided and available at your disposal.
When it comes to your body and fitness level, don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is playing their own version of the game.
So if you have an ailment, injury, or something like that, just do what you can to exercise, even if that means just going for a walk every day.
Eat well. Fuel your body with nutrition. Drink plenty of water.
Limit your alcohol intake. Stay away from tobacco products and drugs.
Visit your doctor for an annual checkup. Go to the dentist every six months.
If you take care of your body, you’ll feel better, and it will be easier for you to stay calm.
Don’t Dwell on Worst-Case Scenarios
You can’t keep the disaster thoughts from popping up in your head, but that doesn’t mean you have to waste time thinking about them.
This relates back to what I said earlier about positive thinking. When something goes wrong, don’t waste your time thinking about the worst possible outcome.
[bctt tweet=”When something goes wrong, don’t waste your time thinking about the worst possible outcome.” username=”LarryWeidel”]
In life, you’re going to be faced with tough choices. Once you make a decision, just go with it.
Stop second-guessing yourself. You need to be optimistic, or you’ll drive yourself crazy.
Don’t say things like, “but what if . . . ?”
Learn the habits of highly confident people. Winners don’t waste time worrying about worst-case scenarios.
Instead, they focus on creating the best outcome with the situation that they’re given.
Prioritize Emotional Intelligence
It’s one thing to be smart; it’s another thing to be wise.
For some reason, people put too much emphasis on IQ instead of EQ. But emotional intelligence is equally, if not more important than IQ.
(Image Source: http://www.talentsmart.com)
That’s why grit is more important than intelligence on the path to success.
To help stay calm, you need to focus on each element of emotional intelligence.
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social skills
Once you’re able to master these elements, it will change the way you approach your life on a daily basis. This is how you become a winner.
Let Go of Things You Can’t Control
I know it’s a shock, but you’re actually not God. You don’t really control the universe.
You need to accept certain realities. Things aren’t always going to go your way.
Move on.
Don’t get caught up on things that are out of your control.
[bctt tweet=”Don’t get caught up on things that are out of your control.” username=”LarryWeidel”]
You’re going to drive yourself crazy if you let factors that are beyond your control impact your life.
The wise man realizes his limitations. He accepts the fact that it’s a big world, and he has to adapt to it. The world does not adapt to him.
He believes in God, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. The wise man believes that he has a purpose and that nothing comes easy.
By putting things that you can’t control out of your mind, you’ll have less stress in your everyday life.
Lean on Your Support System
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Don’t be afraid to talk to people about your feelings or problems.
Seek comfort and advice from your support system.
Reach out to your family, friends, mentors, priests, and anyone else who serves a significant purpose in your life.
When times get difficult, you don’t need to face them on your own. Verbalizing your feelings can help you stay calm because it won’t feel like you’re facing them by yourself.
If you’re busy and stressed at work, learn how to effectively delegate tasks to others.
Set the people who work with you up for success.
The world is full of people who almost win. We need more winning people and more quality leaders.
Turn to your support system to help put your mind at ease.
Be Thankful for What You Have
Instead of being stressed about the things that are bothering you, be thankful for everything that you have.
You are healthy. Your family loves you. You can see, hear, and walk.
You were blessed and fortunate enough to wake up this morning and take a breath, while so many others throughout the world were not so lucky.
Say what you’re thankful for out loud. Make a habit out of doing this on a daily basis.
You can do it when you’re on a walk or when you’re driving to work in the morning. But I promise that you’ll start to feel happier and calmer when you remind yourself of everything that you’re thankful for.
Stay Calm
Winners stay calm under pressure.
If you’ve been feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed lately, you need to take a step back and change your habits.
Learn from successful people. They know how to stay calm in nearly every circumstance.
If you find yourself in a stressful situation, just take a moment to remind yourself to stay calm.
There are changes you can make in your life that will limit your feelings of stress and anxiety in the first place. Use this guide as a reference for how to implement these changes.
