How to deal with Stress

Why is dealing with stress so difficult?

By its own definition, stress is your body’s way of telling you to take action. 

As students across the country face their final exams, let’s look at what stress is, how to manage it and how it can be used to get your End of Life Plan started (or continued!) today. 

Let’s Understand Stress

Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with a mental or emotional pressure.

Your body responds by producing stress hormones to help in the moment. 

Known as the ‘fight or flight’ feeling, your immune system is activated to help in what can feel like a dangerous situation.  

Think of it like a caveman hunting for fish in the year 100 BC, 

but in a flash, an alligator appears, out of nowhere, ready to attack. 

Stress hormones fire up and before the alligator even has a chance to bite, the cave man’s already gone and has posted on Twitter about how he was so closely bitten.  

Okay, maybe the last part wasn’t true, but these hormones work fast! 

Two thousand years later, the surroundings outside might have changed, but your body has not. 

Which is why sometimes, in the comfort of your home, dealing with stress can be unsettling.

Is there a way we can use these feelings to help us? 

Tools for Dealing with Stress  

When you’re neglecting something and you’re feeling stressed, 

the universe is sending you a very clear message that you need to take action! 

With end of life planning, there’s a certain irony about this.

‘Ah, I’ll do it tomorrow.’ 

‘I’ll do it at some point.’ 

‘Lets wait till the time is right’

When the reality is, you might not be around tomorrow and you might miss the opportunity!

That’s why End of Life Planning is so important in the present. 

So here’s the antidote: The next time you’re feeling anxious, start writing things down. 

Take note of your feelings, what needs to be done as regards your end of life planning (or anything for that matter) and how you’re going to do it. 

For instance, maybe you’re feeling anxious at the thought of anything to do with end of life planning. 

What’s the anxiety about?

Is it because you’re afraid to get started? 

Or that you don’t know where to begin?

Or that you feel overwhelmed with indecision? 

If you can answer any of these questions, well done! 

You’re already ahead of 85% of people who never get started!

Building a Plan

Now that you’ve got some information written down, 

It’s time to build a plan on what issues matter most to you. 

Start from the most important and work your way down. 

Is an issue bothering you now or are you worried about something in the future? 

This doesn’t need to be completed today, nor is there any time limit. 

However, simply by starting and refining your list overtime,

you’ll be in a great position to complete a well written End of Life Plan and deal with any stress that may be present.

To help you get started today, here’s a fun way to do it: take a look at the End of Life Planning Cards and Workbook Bundle. Check out here for more.