We all know at least one person who seems to juggle their career and endless responsibilities, but somehow remains calm and in control. It’s different from the rest of us, who get overwhelmed just by looking at our to-do lists. What’s their secret, you ask? Well, they share specific habits and mindsets that prevent them from getting easily stressed in situations. Here are the 9 secrets of those with busy lives who remain calm.
9. They Delegate and Ask for Help
Here’s the first secret: they let others take care of some tasks. That’s right, they formed a team of staff members, consultants, vendors, and helpers who manage projects and handle the everyday stuff. Sounds like your boss? That’s the reality. But for us who aren’t on the same career line yet, then ask for help or let others who are experts take care of things for us. That’s effective delegation for you, where you recognize others’ strengths by giving them the small but necessary tasks. In this way, you can focus on the most urgent ones on your plate.
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8. They Address Incomplete Tasks and “Open Loops”
Take time to compile the undone things in your life, which are those you think about in the morning and night, that’s distracting you. These are the invisible monkeys on our backs that give us stress we tolerate. With this, stress-resistant people make a list of incomplete things or the stuff that needs attention in their lives. After, they systematically address the open loops to free up their mental energy for the important ones.
7. They Protect Their Sleep and Evening Routines
We all know that not getting enough sleep affects our mood, concentration levels, and ability to function. These things combine with demanding tasks that give us stress. With this, calm people are gentler with their evenings. How? They dim their lights and get into a tech curfew. They let the day be enough, even if their list still has loose ends to fix. In this way, they learn to relax and continue on the next day.
6. They Reframe Their Internal Narrative
When a stressful event comes, most of us point to the external event as the reason for stress. However, it isn’t really the external event, but the story you tell yourself about it. You tend to focus on perfection and fear, including the things out of your control. Calm people focus on the positive aspects and solutions rather than the negative. It minimizes their stress and keeps them with a calmer mind to deal with challenges.
5. They Practice Micro-Mindfulness Throughout the Day
You don’t need to meditate for 30 minutes for a clear mind; just check how your body feels at the moment for 10 seconds. With this, you watch your thoughts and fears while walking. When things get too stressful, calm individuals take a two to three-minute walk to clear their minds. This creates stress relief rather than waiting until they’re overwhelmed.
4. They Start Their Day Intentionally (Not Reactively)
Stress-resistant people don’t start their day by checking their emails. It means that they’re less reactive when a surprise pops up since they never really spiked. They start their day with a healthy breakfast and exercise. Yup, it means they follow a morning routine that includes a quiet time before work hours begin. This will carry them through unexpected challenges for the whole day.
3. They Build Strategic Buffer Time Into Their Schedules
People who rarely get overwhelmed work with human energy, not against it. They do this by blocking buffer time, like a breather between calls and a screen-free lunch. Without this white space, people are like browsers with 47 tabs open. A five-minute reset can save you and can involve walking around or drinking a glass of water. This will allow you to reset before the next task.
2. They Focus on One Task at a Time
Stress isn’t just about mounting tasks, but also attention residue. Calm people manage their focus where they concentrate on their priorities one at a time. For example, 90% of your emails aren’t really important or urgent, so reading them can wait after the urgent task. What calm people do is they close unrelated tabs or set a timer.
1. They Prioritize Ruthlessly (And Aren’t Afraid to Say No)
Busy people know that not all tasks are created equal. They separate the urgent from the important things. With that, they put all their attention to it, but don’t really contribute to long-term goals. Now the important ones are what they move towards big objectives. They also learn to say no by setting boundaries and prioritizing their time and energy. Of course, it’s done with empathy and respect, where a simple “no” is powerful enough.
