Do you want to know how to deal with pressure?
If your answer is yes, then you are not alone.
Everybody experiences pressure one time or the other in their life for different reasons.
Pressure can get to people and make them feel down and unable to achieve success or be productive.
So, one has to learn how to handle pressure in a way that would ensure that they keep pushing, be productive, and achieve success.
Also, knowing how to deal with pressure help people to stay physically and mentally fit, free from stress, and achieve whatever they are after.
In this article, we will share valuable information on how to effectively deal with pleasure.
So, since you want to know how to, we hope that you join us on this journey.
To begin, we will look closely at what pressure is to better understand it.
What Does It Mean to Be Pressured? – How to Deal with Pressure
The word ‘pressure’ means a persistent force applied to a thing.
This word is often associated with a feeling of distress.
Therefore, to be pressured means to be under a persistent force or stressors that makes one feel distressed.
Pressure can come from different places such as work, school, home, etc.
A person can be pressured because of the people around them.
In the workplace, a person can be pressured by their boss to do better, or get pressured by themselves because they are not doing well at work.
At home, pressure can come from family members for different reasons.
In school, a person can be pressured to do better by their tutors, and so on.
When a person is under pressure, they tend to feel anxious, stressed, and mentally drained.
Signs That You are Pressured – How to Deal with Pressure
The first thing to do before you can effectively deal with anything or situation is to identify and know what you are dealing with.
This way, you would avoid doing the wrong things as you deal with that situation or thing.
The same thing goes with dealing with pressure.
So, since you have a better understanding of what pressure is, you need to be able to identify when you are pressured.
Hence, we will share with you some signs that can tell you when you are pressured.
Altered Appetite
When people are pressured, their food cravings tend to reduce or increase.
Most times, they feel like food is no longer a priority because they are facing issues that have strained, stressed, and occupied their minds.
Meanwhile, some other people tend to overeat to deal with the stress of what is pressurizing them.
Therefore, this sign depends on one’s personality.
However, a change or alteration in food craving is one of the common signs people exhibit when they are stressed.
Getting Sweaty – How to Deal with Pressure
As we earlier said, pressure can make a person anxious.
This happens because people usually go into a ‘flight or fight’ response when they are pressured.
In other words, they are not settled or calm when they are pressured.
As a result, it can cause adrenaline to surge in their body, and eventually make them sweat.
Therefore, when a person sweats unusually, it can be an indication that they are under pressure.
Sleep Struggles
Most people under pressure often have several thoughts running through their minds non-stop.
They keep thinking of what to do, how to do it, and so on.
As a result, when it is extreme, it tends to change their sleep patterns.
It can either make them sleep more because they feel that they need strength to tackle those things pressuring them.
Or it can make them stay up worrying about those things they ought to do.
Just like alteration in appetite, this sign depends on personality and also situation.
However, a change in sleep pattern could be an indication that you are under a lot of pressure.
Procrastination – How to Deal with Pressure
Procrastination is something that humans tend to do a lot out of laziness.
However, procrastination is also a sign of anxiety caused by pressure.
A deer caught in a car’s headlights freezes instead of running, not because it is not bothered that it would get hit; but because the pressure is so extreme that it causes it to freeze because they do not know what next to do.
So, staying put becomes the best alternative or option at that moment for the animal.
The same thing goes for humans.
When a person is pressured with a lot of tasks to execute and does not know where to start from, it might make them freeze and procrastinate.
Check here to discover how to beat procrastination as you grow your business.
Physical Pains and Aches
As we earlier said, when a person is under pressure they get stressed.
The stress that a person experiences can make them feel physical pains and aches that are most often unexplained.
People who keep pushing themselves to tackle the pressure they experience are mostly the ones who experience this sign.
The pains and aches are often your body telling you that you are over-taxing it.
Constant Colds – How to Deal with Pressure
When a person is going through extreme pressure, it sometimes compromises the body’s immune system.
This happens when a person puts in all their resources into the issue or situation they are facing, with no room for relaxation.
As a result, the body is left with little energy that cannot help defend itself against illness.
So, if you notice that you are often sniffing or suffering from running nose when you are not sick, then you should take a close look at the tasks you are performing.
Anxious Thoughts
Anxiety goes hand-in-hand with stress and pressure.
As a result, when you are stressed or under extreme pressure, your mind can start running with anxious thoughts.
Anxious thoughts are usually unrealistic and made out of assumption or fear.
For example, when you are under pressure to submit a good proposal to get investment, your mind can start running with thoughts.
You might find yourself drafting and canceling different proposals.
If you finally settle for one, your anxious mind might make you think that the proposal will be rejected even when people have confirmed that it is good.
Those anxious thoughts that you keep having are a clear indication that you are extremely stressed and pressured.
Snapping – How to Deal with Pressure
When you notice yourself snapping at the little issue or thing, you most likely are suffering from extreme pressure.
Agitation and anxiety could build up within you without you realizing it, and unexpectedly you find yourself blowing up at the slightest things for no good reason.
When you take time to reflect on those times or days when you blew up, you would probably see how pressure grew within you, until you blew up.
Light-headedness
When you are under pressure and you over-exert yourself, your body gets tired.
Stress and anxiety you feel can make your heart race fast and your breathing heavy and fast or slow.
As a result, less blood flows to your brain, and this ultimately causes you to feel light-headed.
So, if you notice that you have to slow down to breathe, or hold on to something to avoid falling because you are dizzy, then you are probably under extreme pressure and stress.
Loneliness – How to Deal with Pressure
When a person is under pressure and stressed, they often feel lonely.
As a result, they unconsciously detach themselves from people.
This happens more to people who see pressure to be something personal.
They feel like they cannot share what they are going through with others because to them nobody can understand their situation.
So, they keep to themselves and try to sort things out on their own.
Tips on How to Deal with Pressure
Pressure can cause a person to be stressed, anxious, or physically and mentally drained.
These things usually happen when a person does not effectively deal with pressure.
Hence, to avoid them and live without stress you need to learn how to deal with pressure.
We have prepared great things that will teach you how to do this.
1. Identify When You’re Pressured
The first thing a person has to do to effectively deal with pressure is to get to know when they are pressured.
We earlier discussed the signs and behaviors that can indicate when a person is under pressure.
So, check yourself to see if you are exhibiting any of those signs.
Once you have done this, you will find it easier to handle the pressure you are experiencing.
2. Identify the Stressors – How to Deal with Pressure
Everybody gets pressured because of one reason or the other.
Those reasons are called stressors.
To deal with pressure, you have to identify the stressors of the pressure you are experiencing.
Your stressors can be internal factors or external factors.
Perfectionism is a good example of internal factors.
Meanwhile, money troubles are a good example of external factors.
If you are a perfectionist, you most likely will put yourself under pressure to get things done perfectly.
Also, if you are having money troubles, you will feel under pressure and stressed.
Consider the following common internal and external stressors, and check if it applies to your condition or situation:
- Work Performance
- School performance
- Relationships
- Money troubles
- Rigid thinking
- Children
- Pessimism
- Perfectionism
- Chronic worrying
Once you can identify the root of the pressure you are experiencing, you will get to know the right things to do to tackle that pressure.
3. Practice Breathing Exercises
Pressure can make you feel mentally drained and exhausted.
It destroys your calm and peace.
This, in turn, can result in mental problems like depression, anxiety, and negative thinking
So, you have to learn to manage your emotions and stay calm when under pressure to avoid becoming mentally disturbed or unfit.
One way to do this is to practice breathing exercises when you are feeling pressured.
Take time to breathe deeply and calmly.
This will make your body relax naturally and lower your blood pressure and heart rate.
When you can do this, you will find it easier to focus your attention on managing that stressful situation or pressure you are under.
4. Know the Situations You Handle or Control – How to Deal with Pressure
You need to understand that not all situations are controllable.
Sometimes, situations can be above your power.
When you try to control those situations, they can make you get more stressed.
So, you need to let go of those situations and move to the controllable ones.
This way, you would focus your energy and effort on alleviating those situations that are controllable.
As a result, it will help you to eliminate pressure much easier.
5. Seek Workable Solutions for Controllable Situations
Once you have separated the controllable situations from the uncontrollable ones, then you need to brainstorm solutions for them.
You will find it easier to effectively solve your problems if you do the following:
- Challenge and motivate yourself to identify your problems, their source, and your preferred outcome
- Come up with some options to resolve your problems
- Consider the cons and pros of your options
- Choose the option that will enable you to achieve your preferred outcome
- Create a plan to follow through on your solution within realistic time-frames
- Evaluate and track your progress towards achieving your preferred outcome
- Determine your satisfaction with the outcome
If you do the following and discover that you are not satisfied with the outcome, then you should look at your options and adjust your plan.
6. Have a Mantra – How to Deal with Pressure
Mantras can be powerful and good at relieving stress when you effectively make use of them.
So, you should consider having a mantra that can calm you and make you stay positive.
Some examples of good mantras are:
- Stay calm and keep moving
- This will pass
- I acknowledge that I cannot control everything and I accept that
- It will work well
You can come up with a positive mantra that will work well for you or search for them online.
When you have a mantra, keep repeating and believing them.
7. Practice Mindful Meditation
The condition of your mind can either put you under more pressure or reduce pressure.
Hence, you need to practice or engage in activities that can help your mind to be calm and at peace.
One good activity that can do this is mindfulness meditation.
Practicing mindfulness meditation can improve your mental and physical health.
It is a great tool in stress management.
So, do not hesitate to practice mindfulness when you are under pressure.
You can effectively practice mindfulness by doing the following:
- Get a comfortable and quiet spot or place.
- Sit down without leaning back or perching
- If you chose to sit on a flat surface or the floor, you can have your legs crossed
- If you chose to sit on a stool or chair, you can have your legs positioned at a 90-degree angle
- Keep your hands flat on your thighs
- Fix your gaze in an uninterested space in front of you or have your eyes closed
- Take in deep cleansing breaths through the nose
- Release your breaths through the mouth
- Notice and focus on each exhale and inhale
- As you continue, your thought will move from your breathing
- Whatever your thought moves on to, acknowledge it without criticizing yourself or dwelling on it.
- Slowly go back to focusing on your breath
When you do this often, you will be able to reduce stress and relieve pressure.
8. Take Breaks Regularly – How to Deal with Pressure
When a person is under intense pressure, there is a tendency that they will push themselves to work non-stop.
They mostly do this to beat deadlines or cover the time they lost.
These are good reasons.
However, they mostly result in less productivity and more stress.
To avoid these, you have to learn to take short regular breaks while working.
This will help re-energize you and make you more creative, achieve greater productivity, and reduce stress.
You can set your phone alarm to ring after every 10 or 20 minutes.
Then set your timer to relax for two minutes between every 10 or 20 minutes.
During those two minutes, you can stretch, take a short stroll around your work area, or drink water.
9. Prioritize Your Tasks
Most times, we feel pressured because we keep busy without being productive.
We juggle and multi-task different tasks.
This does not one to be productive.
Rather, it increases stress and reduces productivity.
So, to avoid this, you need to learn to prioritize your tasks.
In other words, identify your tasks, and organize your task based on their importance.
This way, you would know what to do first and what comes later.
To effectively prioritize your tasks, you can have all of them written out.
Then, you can mark out the important ones.
After that, focus on executing the important ones before moving to the less important ones.
When there is order in the way you do things it will help to reduce pressure.
10. Learn Delegation – How to Deal with Pressure
Delegating is the act of giving or handing over some tasks to other people.
It helps to release the burden of doing everything yourself.
To effectively delegate a task, you should find an individual who possesses the skills to perform that task.
When you have found that person, you can then assign the task to them.
This way, the individual will effectively perform the task without you stressing about it.
When you delegate, ensure that you provide the person performing the tasks with all detail necessary and a deadline.
Also, you can check on their progress regularly.
However, when you do this ensure that you do not micromanage or be judgmental.
11. Learn to Say ‘No’
Several people experience pressure because they engage themselves in too many activities and commitments.
They find themselves helping a friend with their problem, starting a business, and doing community service all at the same time.
While all of these are good things, they are not good when you are doing them all at once.
So, instead of committing and agreeing to some things when occupied with other tasks and activities just simply say no.
This will save you from a lot of trouble, and stress.
Do not feel like it is wrong to say ‘no’.
Remember that too many tasks can pressure and weigh you down.
Conclusion on How to Deal with Pressure
Pressure can weigh a person down both physically and mentally.
Hence, everybody should know how to fight against pressure to avoid this.
In this article, we have shared valuable information on how to deal with pressure.
So, we hope that it will be of help.
