1. Avoid
Reap the benefits by planning ahead. To an extent, you are in control of your
surroundings. Is time not in your favor? Avoid heavy traffic hours to alleviate the
stress associated with arriving to work on time or pack your lunch to dodge long
lunch lines. Likewise, do not be afraid to say ‘no’ when you already hold a plethora of
responsibilities and demands on your plate. There’s a difference between being
generous versus foolish. Do you have a pesky coworker? When possible, sit as far
away from him/she during meetings or circumnavigate walking past his/her cube.
When you cannot avoid a circumstance; refer to another ‘A’.

2. Alter
Take inventory, and then ask yourself ‘how can I make this situation better?’ If a
lingering issue exists between a coworker, spouse, or friend, resolve it. Small
problems generally turn into large problems if not reckoned with. In other words,
focus on open communication! Since there never seems to be enough time in the
day, lump similar tasks together. Group your phone calls or e-mails; run errands
when passing through the corresponding neighborhood; food prep for the week. If
avoiding or altering is not the appropriate solution, try the next ‘A’.

3. Accept
Then there are the things you just cannot change or control. Accept the conditions
and make the best out of all situations. Do you deal with frustrating spells better by
sharing with a trusted peer or more so alone? Meet a friend for a quick coffee or a
walk around the path. If you prefer to go at it alone, master positive self-talk. Rather
than beating yourself down over one negative moment, dust yourself off and head in
the other direction. Just because you have a bad day does not mean you have a bad
life. View disappointments as lessons learned versus failures. Just in case, one ‘A’
remains.

4. Adapt
The final ‘A’, adaptation, requires an adjustment to conditions. As referred to in bullet
#3, once you learn to accept what you cannot control, discover a way to make it
suitable to you. You may find yourself always striving for perfection, which is a heavy
burden on your back. Try redefining success to reduce remorse when a task is not
completed particularly as intended. Also, change your thinking, change your life.
Reframe your viewpoint. Look at your situation from a different angle to emphasize
positivity. One final suggestion in adapting to stress is seeing the stressor full-circle
or as the big picture. Will what you are worrying about today have an impact five
years from now? Ponder that.

Take control of your stress today. Apply these four ‘A’s!

Source: MayoClinic