In a time when more than 76% of Americans report that stress is affecting their wellbeing, wouldn’t it be nice if we could learn to put our stressors aside from time to time, at least temporarily? I’m not talking about meditating or simply calming down, the latter of which isn’t even possible sometimes, given the world we live in now. I’m talking about changing our thinking and breaking the stress cycle, which is possible.
How to Stop Dwelling on Your Stress
Four behavioral-science-backed techniques to help you take a break.
January 30, 2024
Illustration by David Milan; Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images (rocks); Pexels (woman and flowers)
Summary.
People are feeling more stressed than ever, and it’s affecting our well-being. Many of us dwell on stressful situations, which only serves to compound the uncomfortable feelings that stress brings. The good news is that you can exit the headspace of stress. By improving your ability to stay present, you can set aside stressful issues that you can’t immediately solve, whether that’s a nagging problem at work or a personal conflict. This article covers four behavioral-science-backed techniques to help you take a break from stress.