Men: How to Stay Cool Under Pressure in 7 different ways!
Stress is an integral part of our modern lives, it comes with the territory, but sometimes stress levels can get out of control. People handle stressful situations differently, and events big or small can trigger the fight-or-flight response.
The fight-or-flight response is an evolutionary tactic that releases hormones in the body to prepare the body for a physical confrontation, or to make an escape from danger. This tactic was probably helpful to earlier humans, but not as helpful when that ‘danger’ is talking to a beautiful woman as opposed to running into a wild animal.
Let’s go through the 7 different ways men can stay cool under pressure.
1. Practice Gratitude
Saying thank you is definitely a key part of gratitude, but it’s not the only thing. The benefits of practicing gratitude are most evident when we write letters of gratitude to other people, or simply write in a journal and detail the things we are thankful for. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude can lower the body’s level of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.
One of the things gratitude can do for us is eliminate negative thoughts and emotions, and remove those ruminating thoughts from our mental space. Focusing on gratitude helps to shift our attention away from negative thoughts that don’t serve us, and focus that attention on the good things in our lives. Expressing gratitude can even help us subconsciously, helping us feel happier and more satisfied with life, and over time the positive effects compound and help to feel more fulfilled in life overall.
We discuss this further in our article Top 5 Reasons Why Men Should Keep A Daily Journal here.
2. Meditation
There are many benefits to practicing meditation, such as reducing stress levels and improving your ability to stay calm in situations where emotions would normally get away from you. Studies have also shown that meditation practice can actually change your brain over time, creating new and better paths for your brain to conceive thought.
Like practicing gratitude, daily meditation has been shown to lower the body’s cortisol levels, decreasing stress. Meditation can also reduce anxiety and enhance self-awareness, both good qualities for keeping your cool in the heat of the moment.
For more on mindfulness and meditation practices for men, please refer to our friends at mindful.org here.
3. Think Positively
Many times we feel anxious, or like the world is falling down on us, because we focus on the worst possible outcome. If you make a conscious effort to take a few moments to think about some positives in your life, it can distract your brain from the vicious, recurring thoughts that you may be experiencing in the midst of a high pressure situation. Staying positive gives your brain the space it needs to stay calm and not get stressed out.
4. Take a Deep Breath
Breathe! It’s so simple that most people don’t even think about it, but it really works. Breathing can heal your body in many ways, and understanding it works can be important. Around 70% of toxins are released through your mouth when you breathe, and breathing deeply can help assist the body in this process.
When you’re in a pressure situation, your fight-or-flight response comes on, and it can stay on even after the situation ends. You can stay hyped up for long after the event is over, leading to issues with sleep, mood, and energy levels. This is where taking deep, intentional breaths comes into play, relaxing muscles and slowing your heart rate.
Breathing deeply also calms the parasympathetic nervous system, which puts us into a relaxed state, contrary to the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for activating the fight-or-flight response.
5. Remember What You’ve Gone Through
It’s one thing if you’re in a situation with a high level of pressure, it’s even worse if you feel that you might be unprepared to handle it. Something that can help quell anxiety is to remember times in your life where you overcame obstacles. Whether it was a time you had to speak publicly, or when you endured a tough break up, you made it through, against all odds.
The same courage it took back then is the same courage it will take now, and being mindful of that can be a powerful realization and help improve your outlook on the current situation.
6. Avoid Extremes
You never want to get too low, or too high. If you’re too high, you’ll let your emotions get the best of you and become attached to a desired outcome. You get too low, and you will be off your game. By finding a middle ground, you’ll be able to walk the line between doubting yourself, and becoming overconfident. Maintaining a level head is key in times of strife. Remember that.
7. Get Some Sleep
Things in life can get bad, but can get even worse when you haven’t been able to get much sleep. Stress, coupled with anxiety, can lead to insomnia and put you in a bad position: not being able to sleep, and feeling worse because you aren’t able to sleep. Try to make sleep a priority. Make an effort to get to bed earlier, and put your phone away half an hour or more before you go to sleep, and you can also use essential oils, like lavender, to create a sense of serenity in your bedroom, and drift off into a long and healthy rest.
In life, stressful situations are basically unavoidable. If you aren’t running into stressful situations, you’re probably not trying anything new, which can be even worse. Sometimes though, stress comes from an unlikely source, and you don’t always have a clear path to a solution.
Staying calm in these high pressure situations is not only a trait of a great man, but a great leader. Many of us think that this ability is an innate ability, when really it is a learned behavior. Choosing to act thoughtfully instead of emotionally can help you create a more desirable outcome for yourself, instead of finding yourself in a situation you never wanted to be in in the first place. Use these tips to your advantage and make sure the outcome is one of your choosing.
