For many people just hearing the word “pressure” might make your temples pulse. Pressure is one of those things that we all have in common despite our age, occupation or personal life. We all deal with pressure one way or another, Billy Joel did write a song about it after all! There is pressure to fit in, perform well at school, work or a sport, participate in social media, provide for your family and to meet the expectations of others-to name a few! How we deal with pressure is really what separates us from each other. Two people can go through the same situation, yet one person may suffer while the other is thriving. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t fall into the “thriving” category. The good news is that you can learn to deal with pressure and potentially lead a happier life.

Dealing With Pressure

Plan ahead: Whenever possible do what you can within your control; such as not leaving things to the last minute. If you know about a deadline at work or an upcoming test, start preparing in advance so you are ready. You can even organize a plan, so you know what needs to be done each day. Planning makes the task feel less overwhelming and mentally prepares you for getting it done.

Stop worrying start doing: After you have made your plan-get going! Worrying is unproductive, instead focus on doing.

Remain calm: Sometimes high-pressure situations come out of nowhere, life is just that way. All you can do is your best to get through it. You may need to take a break and calm yourself. Go for a walk or do something you enjoy and clear your head.

Talk to someone/ask for help: Like I said above-we ALL deal with high-pressure situations in our lives. Venting to someone or asking for help does NOT make you weak. There is a reason they say “divide and conquer!”

Perspective: It may feel like all your pride and success is riding on one high-pressure situation but the truth is-it’s not. Think about what you are most afraid of, you may realize that even the worst outcome is not that bad.