HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DEAL WITH STRESS

BY JEFFERSON SANTOS

Using these techniques regularly will put you on your path to success. I've been doing my research

and have found that  successful people in all walks of life frequently use them in one way or another to push back the tide of stress.

Stress has actually been shown to be biologically harmful to the human system. When we're stressed, we build up a series of toxins that inhibit our health and wellness in ways we can't even detect sometimes.

But you know this already from your daily life. You've probably seen it a million times over and over. When we're stressed, we get crabby. We have little patience for people and sometimes snap at them.

You also probably know people in your life that are really bad at managing their stress and others who are so cool and so unflappable that they simply let stress roll off them like water on a duck. You probably avoid the stressful people, who could break at any moment, and gravitate toward the cool people.

You might even be one or the other!

The reason you run away from stressful people and run toward the cool cucumbers is that you know

that stress in life is inevitable. There's another stressful event just around the corner. So you're steeling yourself by hanging around the people that can handle it and avoiding those who can't.

The next time a storm brews and life is throwing all sorts of mess at you, you feel comfortable being

around people who keep their cool because they make the storm more manageable.

So I'm here to help you become one of those people that stays cool and becomes a beacon for others who are further behind on their path to success. I don't expect that you'll be full-blown Zen by the end of this article,

but I hope that the strategies will resonate with you and become a natural part of your

character.

I'd like to begin by telling you about a story that recently happened to me. It's the perfect illustration of the kinds of things that life sends at you when you least expect. I'll be referencing the story throughout this article and while the specifics may not reflect anything in your life, keep in mind the lessons that I'm imparting and ask yourself, "How can I apply this to my life?"

FIVE ESSENTIAL WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR STRESS...

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Healthy, Wealthy, Happy: HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DEAL WITH STRESS

I was trying to fly from Dallas to Houston, which is a very short flight. It's so short, in fact, that for many people it's easier to drive rather than fly depending on where you are coming from and going to in the two cities.

I'm more than ready to go, my bags are packed, and about three hours before my flight is scheduled to take off, I get a text informing me that the flight has been cancelled.

Okay.

So I just get on the internet and book myself onto another flight at another airport in Dallas. So far, so good. I

jumped over the first obstacle with no huge issues.

When I get to the airport, however, it turns out that there's a mechanical issue with the plane. So they redirect us to another gate and another flight. It's a little annoying, but we board, no problem.

It's not until we are all onboard this flight that they discover another problem with this plane. At first they don't say how long the repairs will take, but eventually they tell us 45 minutes. Fair enough, they've told us, thank you very much.

But it's not until after those 45 minutes have passed that they tell the entire plane that this plane isn't making it Houston because the repair will take the whole day.

And during all of this, I can't help but think, "I'm just trying to get to Houston! I could have driven and been there by now!"

Honestly, I wasn't upset, I was truly amused.

How did I keep cool? I kept these five tips in mind.

TIP #1: BE PREPARED

Being prepared is that ever so important first step toward keeping your cool. So much of our stress is feeling

like we don't have control over a situation. And sometimes you really don't.

But you do have control over how prepared you'll be. 

When I take any trip on a plane, I am always sure to pack some reading materials, my iPad and plenty of water. So when I found myself sitting on the plane for 45 minutes, I was able to crack open my iPad and do some learning. I turned a problem into an opportunity.

Keeping cool is just easier when you're prepared.

Obviously you can't anticipate every little possible scenario. But preparation not only helps you when something

goes wrong, it soothes you because in the back of your mind you're confident that you can handle whatever

may come.

You have probably already prepared for all sorts of things that can go wrong in your life. You carry a spare tire in your car, right? What about candles in case of a blackout? And do you have in your wallet some sort of a credit card that you can use in case of an emergency?

So you understand the principle, because you've already done it in other areas. Try to be prepared as much

as possible.

That way, when there is some sort of problem that arises, you can bust out your widest smile and you suddenly

realize, "Oh...I was prepared for this!"

TIP #2: LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE

We tend to focus on our individual situation when things go wrong. Why is this happening to me?

When you do this, however, you're failing to look at the bigger picture. 

You're just one detail in life. Now granted, you're the detail that matters to you. But keeping the big picture in per-spective is a great way to reduce stress and achieve success.

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I can honestly say when I was on that flight that wasn't taking off, I quickly looked at the big picture and

chilled out.

I first thought, "I am so glad that they discovered the mechanical problem while we're sitting here and not while we are up in the air!"

Think about it. The big picture is that we're safe and the airline is actually trying to make us safer. Everyone

is actually doing their job. My job was to get to Houston. But the airline's job was to get everyone to Houston

ALIVE!

So perspective is important whenever a problem presents itself.

The second thing I did on that flight to nowhere was pull back and look at this magnificent piece of technol-ogy just under my feet. I can fly! I wasn't forced to drive, where a mechanical failure like this puts me on the side of the road somewhere between Dallas and Houston.

Instead, I marveled at how incredible it was that I had this opportunity that many people around the

world do not. I got to fly on a plane and that's pretty cool.

Of course, I should also mention that I LOVE airplanes so I'm naturally jazzed to be onboard them any-

way.

Stepping back and looking at the big picture makes you realize what is truly important. The impor-

tant part of any situation is to finish the day healthy and alive. Everything else is just details.

Remember, I'm trying to get to Houston for a presentation and I had plans to have dinner with my mother and sister. But I kept looking at the big picture, and that kept the stress at bay.

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Healthy, Wealthy, Happy: HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DEAL WITH STRESS

TIP #3: BE GRATEFUL

I've written about this before and I always think of the great Maya Angelou who once wrote, "I maintain an

attitude of gratitude."

Gratitude is taking that last step of looking at the big picture and even going one step further. It's look-

ing at your situation and being thankful for it. And if you're struggling to find something in a situation to

be thankful, keep looking. 

Because there's always something to be grateful for.

In my case, I was extremely grateful that I didn't have to drive during all of this. We've got some serious Texas traffic sometimes and both Dallas and Houston can get hairy.

I kept my gratitude at the forefront of my mind and this allowed me remain in a calm state.

I was grateful that I was notified with time when that first plane cancelled. I was grateful that I had the money and

access to the internet to rebook my flight. All throughout the ordeal, I remained grateful. And it's really

hard to generate negative feelings when you remain grateful.

As I looked out my airplane window and saw the airline employees scrambling to fix whatever was troubling the plane, I realized what a tough job they have. I was thankful that these employees were well-trained to fix this very situation. I was grateful that someone, and not me, was fixing the mechanical issues.

My job, all I had to do, was to kick back and remain calm. I was very thankful for that.

TIP #4: STAY POSITIVE

When I finally got on my fourth flight, wouldn't you know it, there were more challenges left in my adven-ture. There was a young man onboard who had some sort of an asthma problem, which acted up mid-flight. At

one point he needed medical attention and that put everyone a little on edge. 

Upon arriving, we couldn't get out of our seats while the paramedics came on to the airplane to help this young man off. They carried him off and we had to stay in our seats until he had gotten off first.

Luckily he was fine. His needs were attended to and we got to our destination safely.

But I stayed positive the whole time. How did I do this?

Simple. I look at the absurdity that presents itself in certain situations.

In this case, I realized that I had all around the world without incident. I've been everywhere. I've traveled through-out Europe. I've been to Africa. I've gone through Asia. Everyone I've been, I've never had a problem.

And I'm having problems getting from Dallas to Houston!

That's pretty crazy.

Even if you think that stressful situations were somehow designed to get you off your game, that's a pretty silly thought and you have to roll with it.

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Maya Angelou: "I maintain an attitude of gratitude."

The situation was simple, it often is, but all of a sudden it became complicated. It was something that I didn't expect. 

Embrace the surprise, the absurdity, the strangeness of it all. Be confident that it will at

some point go back to flowing easily for you. 

Until then, stay positive.

TIP #5: STAY FOCUSED ON THE OUT-COME

The road changes but the outcome stays the same. In my case, I had to get to Houston. There was no getting around it. My presentation was coming up and my family was expecting me.

So when that logjam finally let up and I arrived in Houston, I was more determined than ever to do an incredi-

ble job in my presentation. I was determined to be in a great mood for my mother and sister. They

didn't cause my delay, why should they suffer because of it?

They worried, too. They were put out. So it was even more on me to keep my chin up and remain positive

because the outcome was the only thing that mattered.

When you lose your cool, you're pulling over along the way and getting bogged down in some detail that you

don't like. Instead to continuing on to your destination, you lose sight of your goal and sometimes don't

achieve it.

There are tons of things that happen in all of our lives every day. So to decide to stop and let one little thing derail you almost doesn't make sense.

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Healthy, Wealthy, Happy: HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DEAL WITH STRESS

Hey, life is unpredictable. And some stuff is definitely worth addressing. But to stop whatever mission you've got going in your life to blow your lid is not a smart move.

Plus there's that awful anger hangover. Your heart is racing, your blood is pumping and now you're off your game.

Stay in control. Deal with the stress. Don't let it control you.

I consider myself pretty fortunate. You know, I give talks and coach people on this very thing. And here life presented me with the perfect opportunity to practice everything that I preach.

My incredible day happened because of me, not in spite of me. That's right, I consider that long day of travel an incredible day. I learned a lot about myself and kept my cool.

When I woke up the next day, I was ready for whatever stress was up next. I don't think much happened that day. But I can honestly say, I was ready.

Until next time, I look forward to helping you arrive at your next intended destination healthy, wealthy, and happy!

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Jefferson Santos grew up in Richardson, Texas and attended Texas Christian University and played football at the Naval Academy. Jefferson is like many entrepreneurs who just decided one day that he wanted to be in charge of his own career. However, at the age of 25 he was $1,100 negative in his bank account, $70,000 in debt and decided he was in need of a change. Through guidance, self-improvement and commitment he turned his dream into a realist. Jefferson is now a multi-million dollar earner and has a team of over 300,000 leaders in 30 countries and it continues to grow every day.

Jefferson’s goal is to help YOU arrive at your intended destination healthy, wealthy and happy.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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www.JeffersonSantos.com