Stress is an inevitable part of life.

Whether it’s related to work, relationships, health, or personal issues, everyone experiences stress at some point.

The Trouble With Stress

Stress is the body’s response to any demand or threat, real or perceived.

When we get into a stressful situation, our bodies go into a “fight-or-flight” mode, releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

These hormones prepare our bodies to either face the challenge or run away from it.

But in today’s world, there are so many stressors that our bodies are in constant stress mode.

And chronic stress can have detrimental effects on our health, leading to issues such as anxiety, depression, heart disease, and weakened immune function.

This is why we need to learn how to tackle the stressors in our lives.

We Have Little Control Over Our Circumstances

No matter who you are, there are stressful situations everywhere.

For example, this has been a very stressful week for me, personally.

We had a rain that was dubbed as a “once in a thousand years rain.” But the crazy part about that is that we had a similar rain come just a couple of years ago.

Our latest rain storm brought a foot of rain in just one day. And we hadn’t had rain for a long time before that.

So, as you can imagine, we had multiple roof leaks. We’ve had leaks in the past, but we’ve always just kept patching the roof.

But this time, we knew it needed to be replaced, so that’s what we’ve decided to do.

Is that stressful? Absolutely!

Do we have a new roof in this year’s budget? Absolutely not!

But it’s not something we have any control over. We can only do what we can do.

In addition to this, our daughter Olivia called us from her cross-country trip, freaking out. She was pulled over by tribal police in Montana for a speeding ticket.

It happened on a holiday so she couldn’t even call to find out what the fine was going to be. And her mind kept going to the worst case scenario. She just continued stressing about it over and over again.

But, once she received the ticket, she really had no control over the outcome. She already got the ticket, and she will have to pay whatever it is that they tell her to pay.

No matter the situation, stress isn’t going to change it for any of us.

What We Can Control Is Our Response

We may not be able to control our circumstances, but we can control how we react to life’s stressors.

If it’s already in the past, we have to recognize that there is nothing we can do about it. What has happened has happened.

I often have to remind myself that I need to stop stressing about things I cannot control.

Because the reality is that most things in my life, I can’t really control.

I can’t control if it’s going to rain. That’s definitely not something any of us can control.

But what I can do is call someone to come out and put a tarp on my roof. That I can control.

I can also control my speed limit (that’s a hint to Olivia) so that I don’t get pulled over. But once I’ve been pulled over, it’s in the past, and I no longer control the outcome.

If it’s in the past, we need to learn to stop stressing over it. There’s nothing we can do but pay the fine or replace the roof.

Being angry doesn’t make anything better. Freaking out and crying over things doesn’t make anything better. All it does is give you a headache.

Only Stress About the Things You Can Control

To be honest, I don’t think you should really stress about anything. But if you’re going to stress, stress about the things you can control.

Because once you can fix it or finish it, you can get it done and then the stress will be gone.

When I’m in a challenging situation, I like to ask myself, “What can I actually do about this?”

Once I answer that question, I do the things I can and then let the other things go.

Sometimes, the answer is that there’s nothing that I can do.

When challenges come, sometimes, you have to wait for the government agency to open back up again to talk with them.

And sometimes, you simply have to allow things to pass.

Whatever we do, sitting there and stressing ourselves out about things outside our control is never, ever going to be helpful.

Find Ways to Calm Your Mind

We all need ways we can calm ourselves down.

It begins with managing our mindset. I know I talk about this a lot, but that’s because it’s true.

Our mindset will ultimately control our approach to life. And there are many different ways we can manage our mindset.

We can practice mindfulness and meditation techniques to help us stay grounded in the present moment.

Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and a good night’s sleep can help our bodies cope with daily stressors.

Positive affirmations, spending time with friends, and gratitude are also great ways to tackle stressful situations.

Whatever you do, it’s important to engage your mind so you don’t get so caught up in your thoughts that you get into a spiral that you can’t get out of.

Above all, remind yourself that if you can’t control the situation, stressing about it is only going to make things worse.

Stress is a natural part of life, but it doesn’t have to control us.

If we want to move beyond the stress, the best thing we can do is learn to let things go.

Once we can do this, we will find internal peace and live a happier and healthier life.