There are days when everything seems to go your way.

There are days when every traffic light is green on your way to work, the server at your favorite coffee shop gives you a free latte, and you wake up feeling great after a solid eight hours of sleep.

There are days when you feel like you are on top of the world, and nothing can go wrong.

Those days are not most days.

Most days are littered with challenges, like spilled coffee in the car, and waking up at 2:30 in the morning, desperately wishing for a few more hours of sleep.

Most days have some amount of stress and frustration. This is just the way life rolls.

Unfortunately, most people don’t have a good plan for coping with stress.

You are not most people.

Even in the crunchiest of days, there are good things going on. There are good things happening in your life and in the lives of those around you.

It is super important that you have a strategy for handling stress. Here are my top 6 suggestions:

Acknowledge it. Be the observer of your own emotions, and figure out where the stress is coming from. Are you feeling overweight and unhappy with your appearance, or is it about a fight with your spouse? Are you overwhelmed by projects at work? Be honest about what the issues are, and write them down in your journal. This alone will make you feel better.

Take care of YOU. Eat healthy foods and schedule in 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Don’t stay up late to meet a deadline, only to feel worse in the morning. Drink plenty of water, avoid excess alcohol and caffeine. Treat your body with love and respect. You deserve it.

Exercise. Take time away from your growing to-do list and really break a sweat. This may help you sleep better and improve your ability to handle stress. Walk, run, or join a gym—just get moving.

Take a break. You can’t do it all, and do it well. Schedule quiet time with a book, music, or time with a friend that motivates and encourages you. Spend time having fun with people who lift your spirits.

Don’t turn to worry. No amount of worry will change your problems, or the problems anyone else is dealing with. Prayer is different, and can be powerful as it gives your concerns to a higher power. Pray, breathe and move forward—keeping the useless emotion of worry far away.

Give thanks. Even in the storms of life, good things are always happening. Seek the good in every situation. Acknowledge it and be intentionally grateful. Develop an attitude of gratitude.

Stress is something that every human deals with. Believe me, I get stressed. I get frustrated, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll be able to cope with it all. Most of the time, however, I can get over it pretty quickly. My life is amazing and full, but just like you, I still go through storms. My life has been filled with huge ups and downs, and everything in between. I have still managed to get up after a fall, pick up the pieces and move forward. This is what’s called being resilient.

This is your life and yours to make the most of. Your emotional well-being is priceless and managing stress is a huge part of finding peace and joy.

Cheers to a smile-filled day!

Coach Brett Blair

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