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3 Ways To Strip Away Stress

3 Ways To Strip Away Stress

Hi, this is Nathan Hopkins from 3XMethod.com with another episode of Testosterone TV. Now, today we’re talking about three ways to strip away stress now. Have you ever felt like this guy? I know I have. I’ve spent a good bit of time consulting Fortune 500 companies, and here are some of the things that I’ve noticed and even learned myself that will help you prevent stress.

First tip: face your job head-on. Challenge yourself. Always be testing yourself and growing. I challenge you to do one thing a day that takes you out of your comfort zone. Staying in your comfort zone is the kiss of death. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is a great way to continue to grow and expand your skills and strengths. In addition, you know in the back of your mind if you’re doing everything you can. If you’re not, there will always be this level of guilt operating in the background that will create stress for you.

Challenging yourself can go the other direction as well. You want to be self-aware, know your limitations, and don’t bite of more than you can chew. You don’t want to take on something that is so far outside your skill set that it actually overwhelms you and causes you to shut down. It will cause you to be unsure and timid. Remember, people are attracted to confidence and certainty. Also, you don’t want to over-commit and jam yourself with so many things that your health and sanity suffer.

Successful men are go-getters, but they also know when the quality of their efforts suffer because of quantity. Also, don’t be a yes-man. One of my mentors told me that successful people surround themselves with others who tell them what they need to hear, rather than what you think they want to hear. Their main concern is success of the objective, and not just trying to make others feel good about themselves. Successful people are wise enough to recognize wisdom and someone who is truly an asset to them.

I can’t tell you how many times my mentor ripped someone’s heart out, handed it to them while it was still beating, and then they literally thanked him for it. He wasn’t telling them they were idiots or beating them up or anything like that. He was willing to bring up the hard issues for the right reasons, and that’s why a guy like him is sought out by some of the biggest companies in the world.

Second way to reduce stress: pick up your trash. Do things the right way. Accept responsibility for your life, the decisions you make, and the mistakes that you make. Learn from your lumps, rise up, and don’t make the same mistakes twice. Take action. Never settle for being mediocre, but don’t lament over doing things perfectly, either. You can fall prey to paralysis from analysis and end up missing a lot of opportunities. Listen to your gut, make your decision, give it your best, and things will shape out for you.

You want to limit self-destructive behaviors like disorganization. For example, if you have a car that’s full of trash and other stuff, or your closets have clothes all over the place on the floor and thrown about, this should tell you something. It’s a reflection of the chaos that’s not only going on around you, but it also shows what’s going on internally as well. People can see this even when you can’t.

I’ve actually heard several financial advisors say that when they look around at someone’s home and how organized they are, they can actually predict how good that individual is at managing money. I think that’s pretty interesting and pretty instructive. Being organized will reduce stress.

Next thing: don’t take shortcuts and don’t cheat. You actually sacrifice the knowledge you gain and the experience, and you run the risk of getting into a situation that is over your head. Next thing you know, you can’t even breathe, you’re so stressed out. Things have a way of coming back and biting you in the ass when you cheat.

Next thing: do what you say when you say you’re going to do it. If you tell someone you’re going to be somewhere at a certain time, be there. If you commit to having a certain project complete by X date, have it done. Don’t owe anyone anything. The last thing you want is to wind up in an awkward or stressful situation where you run into someone you’re committed to do something for and you didn’t do it. Remember, actions scream so loud that people can’t hear your words.

If you’re not a man of your word, people are going to catch on, and they’re going to see you coming a mile away. At the end of the day, your word is all you have; your word is you.

Next way to strip away stress is keep your eyes on the horizon. You’re like a sailor or a pioneer. You’re looking for storms or potential danger ahead. Many people start the day out completely out of control. They show up to work with no plan, then they just exist in a state of reaction to surroundings. They get nothing done. By the end of the day, they’re stressed out, they’re worn out, they feel like they’ve been busting their ass, and half the time they can’t even remember what they got done that day.

This is one of the things that I’ve seen happening in companies over and over again. I even used to do it myself, and sometimes I still do until I can’t handle it anymore and I have to do something about it. Here’s what I do: I plan out my day the night before, and I list out the actions I need to complete to achieve my goals for that week and even that month. I anticipate the storms by taking action in advance.

I also take control of my day in the very beginning by reviewing my plan first thing at 4 AM when I get up at home while the house is still completely quiet. No e-mail; no one’s asking me to do anything. I’m looking out on the horizon, and I have a plan. That way, when something does happen during my day, I may have to adjust a little bit, but I never get derailed. I can’t remember which general it was, but I remember hearing a quote: “You’d be crazy to go into battle without a plan, and you’d be even crazier to stick to it when you’re in the fray.”

Here’s another thing: make your own weather; have the right people around you. When the storm hits, have positive, like-minded people around you to support you. People who have the same goals will see you through. That way, when the storm hits, you can create your own wind and just blow it away. It’s gone. It goes the other way even more: having negative, cynical people around you spreads like a virus. Get rid of those people or find a way to not catch their sickness. Again, it’s the kiss of death, stress guaranteed.

Big picture, work hard, play hard. Be a man. Do things right. Have a plan, challenge yourself, and push the envelope. Never settle for being mediocre. Always be evolving and re-creating yourself. Bust your ass and make the most of the time you have. Always figure out ways to get more done with the time you have. Don’t be the guy that takes forever to get things done and works 13-hour days. Again, that increases stress.

Once way to motivate yourself to be more productive is scheduling some pleasure during the day. If you have to accomplish XYZ before you can get to the pleasure, you’re going to get it done faster so that you can do the thing that you enjoy. I’m a fitness guy, so I’ve got to throw in a health analogy here, but another example of this is if you’re on a diet, you’ve got to eat things you like every so often. Don’t let yourself get too rigid.

Have you ever been at a party where someone won’t drink beer or make a big deal about not eating something because it’s not in their diet? They’re no fun, and in a way they’ve become a slave to their lifestyle. The same thing can happen at work. Having some pleasure to reward hard work is going to reinforce the habits that you’re programming in yourself. At the end of the day, don’t take yourself to seriously.

Remember: your job, the way you work out and eat, whatever, is a way of living, but it’s not your life. Be a man, have fun and, seriously, kick some ass. If you’d like to get more free videos, you can go to 3XMethod.com and subscribe. You’ll be notified whenever I post new videos on men’s fitness, lifestyles, things like this for reducing stress, and lots of other things that guys deal with.

You can also get immediate updates by following me on YouTube by going to YouTube and searching 3XMethod. That’s it. This is Nathan Hopkins from 3XMethod.com with another episode of Testosterone TV. Remember: Don’t just be a man. Be a 3X man.