When you are dealing with a stressful situation it’s easy to let your mind race and get out of control.
It’s also easy to have your vision narrow to a pinpoint so that you can only focus on the small details of the issue and you forget about the rest of the world, which leads you to feeling trapped.
I’ve found the below 5 mantras to be helpful when it comes to releasing the hold that stress has on you.
THE 5 MANTRAS
1. “This too shall pass”
I learned this phrase in high school and it’s always stuck with me. Whenever you are in a bad or stressful situation, remembering that it will pass can be very helpful.
Think about it, in any past stressful situations you’ve gotten through it, right? You’re still alive and well today, and you don’t think about that stressful moment anymore.
In the present, it may seem like the biggest deal ever, but if you can fast-forward a year, you’ll realize this moment is only a blip in time and won’t be remembered in the future.
2. “Everything is figureoutable”
I love this mantra from Marie Forleo’s book ‘Everything Is Figureoutable’. It means that any situation, no matter how difficult, tough, or stressful, can be figured out. There is always a solution.
If you feel completely stuck in a stressful situation, repeat to yourself that everything is figureoutable and it will open your mind up to the possibilities.
3. “Nothing is the end of the world”
This is one I learned from my Dad, and it’s similar to ‘this too shall pass.’ In the moment, things might seem like the worst thing, the end of the world, but if you step back you realize they are not.
In college, I was failing a class my senior year (Physics II – yikes). I called my dad in tears when I realized there was no way to salvage my grade and I wouldn’t have the credits I needed to graduate. He told me “Kate, calm down, this is not the end of the world. It’s not great, but you have options. You can re-take the course over the summer and receive your diploma after that.” He said it and it sounded so simple I was like “Oh! Hm ok you’re right” and I quickly stopped freaking out.
You have to learn to shift and adjust your life based on what happens, don’t be so rigid in your plans that you have a panic attack if something foils them. If you can be flexible and realize that nothing is the actual end of the world, you will become much more calm in stressful or negative situations.
4. “Stop taking yourself and life so seriously/Become the fun you are seeking”
This one is great because it reminds you that life should be light and fun, not serious and stressful.
When you are stressed, it’s so easy to become grumpy, negative, pessimistic, and irritable.
Try to get yourself to lighten up a little by remembering to stop taking yourself so seriously. Life is fun, it’s an adventure, whatever you are experiencing right now is just a passing moment.
5. “Clarity comes from action, not thought”
This might be the most important mantra of them all, and it applies to everything in your life, not just stressful situations.
A lot of times we get stuck in stress-mode because we try to think our way out of situations.
We sit and think ourselves in circles, becoming more and more stressed about it, which doesn’t help at all. Taking action is the best way to relieve this stress.
So make that call, send that email, pay that bill, sign up for that course.
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So when life feels overwhelming, keep these empowering mantras in mind and really think about what they mean. Each has an important message and if you can take it to heart, I promise it will help you feel better.
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