I bet you have noticed how stress has become a topic that everyone is talking about right now. Stress was unrelenting enough in the ‘everyday usual’ times But now everyone is talking about it, experiencing it , and many of us feel besieged by it.

It’s not just the Corona virus pandemic. It’s also work and it’s also at home. It’s not just you, it our leaders, community members, and family members, It’s everyone – regardless of age, race, gender, or salary. It’s highlighted on social media, newspaper, radio, television, and online articles.

With years of conducting training programs under my belt, and hundreds of clients who experience stress, managing the stress you are experiencing is mainly about attitude. If you are not motivated to change your behavior and habits right now, it won’t matter how many tricks and tips to manage the stress you are feeling. Nothing will change if you don’t change.

Right now, the increase in stress comes with being a member of the human race. You have to determine if you are going to totally melt down, run and hide from it (creating another and unique kind of stress) or develop some discipline to get through the day.

1.Pause

2.Assess

3.Choose

4.Commit

These four steps are so critical to managing stress that I now repeat them often. When you are experiencing stress – the first thing you should do is stop what you are doing and take a moment. Become aware that you are running, talking too fast, making mistakes, speeding, gripping your fingers, clenching your jaw, or holding your breath.

Evaluate what is going on with you and why. Consider if this is the best thing for you to be doing right now – and what would be better and preferred.

Choose the one thing that makes sense to do. It might be: walking away, biting your tongue, choosing one task over 5 others to complete, or getting away from the screen for 10 minutes. . Decide the best way to take control over that moment.

And then do it. It will mean doing something differently than you have been doing. Take control of your day, your action, your words, and your behavior. It’s the one area where you DO have total control so step up and use it.

There is a lot outside your door right now that is out of your control. It’s going to be like that for a while. Life is not going to stop or slow down because you’d like it to. It doesn’t ever seem to ever work like that. Create some limits that help you focus. Learn how to communicate to others so they understand your goals and parameters. Let them kniow when you are nearing your limit. Ask for support in ways that allow people to assist you, while you respect their parameters and limits.

One person’s stress is another person’s delight but everyone can lose control at times. The goal with managing stress, work, and your life is to figure out if you can reduce the pressure, and how to increase your ability to manage it. Everyone can but not everyone does.

Joni Daniels is Principal of Daniels & Associates, a management consulting practice that specializes in developing people in the areas of leadership and management, interpersonal effectiveness and efficiency, skill- building, and organizational development interventions. With over 30 years of experience, she is a sought after resource for Fortune 500 clients, professional organizations, higher education, media outlets and business publications. Joni can be reached at http://jonidaniels.com