Build Habits to Deal With Stress
The core idea of the book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg is that your habits evolve using a predictable loop. The loop can be summarized as ‘Cue->Routine->Reward’:
The cue is the trigger to kick off a habit
The routine is the action you take in your habit
The reward is the reward for doing the habit
In the below example our friend gets stressed out after being yelled at by someone else. He then eats some pizza and ice cream to feel better. The next time someone yells at him he goes back to eating food to relieve the stress.
All sketches drawn by me!
We can use this loop to understand how to build new habits to deal with stress.
First, think through what your stress cues are (your stressors). The cues are going to be different for everyone. Maybe for you it's dealing with a particularly frustrating coworker, or maybe it's something annoying your partner or kids do, or maybe an annoying quirk or bug in the tool you use for your job that drives you nuts. We all have our own unique stressors.
Next, think through your routines for dealing with your cue for stress. It’s OK if you don’t have a great routine right now. We all have to start somewhere. Pay attention to yourself for the next week. What do you immediately following a stressful scenario?
The final part of the loop (the reward) is going to be the same for all of us. We want to feel less stressed. Whatever our unique stressors are, we all seek to get away from them or resolve them in our own way.
The key is to figure out a routine that will help you handle the stress in a healthy way. You may be turning to food or venting to a coworker to release your stressful feelings. Try to replace those with healthier routines - like going for a walk or doing a short meditation.
You won't always be able to change your cues (like it or not, there are probably always going to be annoying coworkers we have to deal with). But you can consciously choose routines that are healthy ways to relieve stress.
What routines do you use (or would like to use) to relieve stress? Email me.
Our friend here is now going for a walk instead of eating. Much healthier!