Six tips: How to take care of yourself in a stressful daily life
In a stressless daily life, it is important to build resilience so that you retain the ability to keep a cool head and a warm heart. Expert Birgitte Dam Jensen has six tips for you.
Are you facing pressure, problems or adversity? Then it is even more important than ever than you maintain your calm, optimism and ability to act.
This is what Birgitte Dam Jensen, lecturer, coach and author, says. She has written the bestseller “Bevar dig selv – robust i en uforudsigelig fremtid” (“Staying Resilient in an Unpredictable Future”).
Here are her six tips:
1. Understand resilience
Resilience is basically about maintaining good human qualities when it’s hard and you are under pressure.
This is important for two reasons:
When we are under pressure, our bodies release stress hormones, which can make it difficult to think clearly and make well-considered choices.
But in modern times we face challenges where it is not enough to just fight. Instead, they require us to use our heads and find well-considered, often long-term solutions.
2. Get to know yourself
Become aware of your reactions when you are under pressure so that you are well prepared next time.
Write down what your strengths, weaknesses and limitations are.
Also, recognise when under pressure and if necessary use yoga and mindfulness to become more present in the moment and accept the feelings and vulnerability you are experiencing.
3. Take good care of your physical resources
It takes energy to use your head when things are hard. Therefore, take good care of your physical resources with 8 hours of sleep, exercise, a healthy diet (stable blood sugar) and breaks with peace of mind.
Good choices here can be to shut down the computer, spend time with your family, get a good night’s sleep or go for a run. Train yourself to take a break as the first thing you do when you feel stressed.
More knowledge about resilience
If you want to know more, you can see if:
Finansforbundet has courses and events on personal development.
Birgitte Dam Jensen has a series of podcasts that offer insight into resilience.
(The website is in Danish as of yet.)
4. Who are your most important relationships?
Science shows that people who experience secure connections to other people are less vulnerable to pressure.
Therefore, you have to pay attention to your most important social relationships and social abilities.
Take time out of your calendar to see people who matter in your life.
5. Deal with negative thoughts
A big source of pressure can be our own worries. They can lead to feelings of powerlessness, which is the number one enemy of resilience.
Therefore, learn to distinguish between real problems and worries, and if necessary seek support in metacognitive techniques.
Find the ‘never mind’ button and let go of the things you can’t change anyway. You can’t control everything, so be optimistic and believe that tomorrow will be better than today.
6. Focus on meaning and purpose
Focus on meaning and purpose in all your important activities. Motivation is super important when we have to make long-term choices.
Find what gives meaning and has value in your life.
When you are able to do that, it gives you extra strength to handle challenging situations well.