Many people have taken extra precautions to ensure not getting sick before a major event. You might have loaded yourself up with vitamin C and echinacea while studying for a big exam in university. Or maybe you avoided shaking people’s hands the week before going on vacation so that you didn’t get a cold that would ruin the whole experience.
But, when you know that stressful situations are on their way, what can you do to protect your mental wellness? While you might do all that you can to keep your body in peak condition, you may not put as much time into what is going on in your mind. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to prepare yourself to get through it and to get back to those happier moments. Here are 3 ways that you can prepare yourself 
for a stressful event:
1. Ask for Help
This is something that is really difficult for some people. If you are a Type A personality, for example, you might be the sort of person who believes that more stress comes from passing over responsibilities, instead feeling that if you want something done right, you need to do it entirely yourself. But, no one is able to get through life alone. Whether or not you ask, you likely get help every day from your colleagues, friends and family as well as the people that you encounter when you’re running errands.
Getting something off of your plate allows you to put more of your energy into the things that you’re best at handling. If a family member has taken ill, for instance, you might ask for someone to visit them at the hospital while you take care of getting them supplies from home or going to the pharmacy. The strongest people are those that are able to motivate others as well as themselves.
2. Have a 15 Minute Timeout Routine
Everyone does different things to achieve a calm state. For some people, it’s yoga or taking a walk outside. For others, it’s putting on a set of headphones and listening to their favorite music. Take some time to get to know how you can find calm in a short period of time.
When things start to get really overwhelming, take a step back and use your routine to calm down. It only takes a few minutes, but it can make a big difference in your stress level and will improve your mental health.
3. Know Your Triggers
Just like you should understand what best calms you down, you should try to be aware of the things that most stress you out or otherwise negatively affect your mental health. If you’re someone who is very negatively affected by spoken confrontation, for example, you might opt to write your points down and work through a conflict by email rather than in person.
You can just be better prepared when you know that you’re going to be in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable. Everyone has things that they are scared of. Being aware of what these things can help you get through even the toughest moments.
There is no way of avoiding difficult times. Just like you have amazing days that you would like to live over and over again, you’ll always have bad days that you wish never happened. Allow yourself to experience the bad and then let those moments fall into the review mirror and you will find better days ahead.
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