Five Tips to Avoid Reaching Your Breaking Point

Source: Deniz-altidas/Unsplash, Used with permission

Life in itself is “Lifey.” Stressing at work to meet deadlines, studying to pass exams, keeping peace in your relationship, taking care of an ill loved one, navigating traffic, or simply sitting at the airport because of a flight cancellation are, in and of themselves, stressful. There is no stress-free zone. Stress is a natural phenomenon. No one is exempt from stressful situations. Simply put, praying for a stress-free life is an unrealistic ask. Finding ways to either manage stress or manage situations that increase stress is a more realistic prayer.

Recently, my family and I were traveling to the Midwest on a family vacation. As you know, family travel can be a bit stressful—especially when flight cancellations are part of the stress. Interestingly, my family and I encountered such stress both flying to our destination and returning home. Not really sure why it happened that way. But guess what? It did happen, and there was nothing to do about it. Knowing how to manage stress is a superpower.

These five tips helped us deal with the situation. They could work in a multitude of settings.

Acknowledge the challenge without any pretense. When a challenge presents itself, it is not the best time to attempt to minimize it or pretend it does not exist. Recognize the challenge and shift your mindset to accommodate the reality on the ground. In the case of flight cancellations, throwing your hands in the air and going ballistic will not fix the issue. Instead, acknowledging that it is what it is, is the best thing to do at the moment, so take a deep breath. Acknowledging the challenge from the onset has a way of resetting your mind to prepare for a possible solution rather than complaining about it. So, when my wife, daughter, and I realized that we had a flight delay, we were momentarily disappointed but quickly acknowledged the new reality.

Prioritize your safety and the safety of others. As the situation changes, priorities are meant to be adjusted. Certain events are unpredictable. Recognizing that mistakes happen helps you expect the unexpected. Safety becomes of utmost importance, especially during unsettling moments. Being ready to change course in times of uncertainty is a mark of good leadership. Don’t try everything else before considering safety measures. As we were sitting at the airport thinking about how to make ourselves comfortable, we decided to find a safe corner to huddle and wait for the next flight.

Center yourself and stabilize the team. In the midst of chaos, stay calm. Staying calm outwardly while managing your emotions inwardly is a sign of effective leadership. When you center yourself, everything else and everybody around you mirror your calmness and resolve. Your calmness also signals control and care. After all, leadership does not need a title; it needs a caring heart. Becoming hysterical amidst confusion worsens the situation. With the delay, my initial thought was to get upset and shut down (which I did for a moment) and regroup. Once I had centered myself, we were able to move forward.

Find meaning in every mishap. Innovation is based on multiple failures. In other words, failure is data. When there is failure or disappointment, look for good in such disappointment by identifying lessons. The mere mind shift from disappointment to opportunity changes how you view such disappointment or failure and, most importantly, it relaxes your biology. Because of the flight delays, we missed a scheduled cruise. Upon arrival at our destination (Chicago), an Uber driver gave us a tip that helped us rebook our cruise, and we were still able to enjoy our vacation. The flight disappointment ultimately strengthened our patience quotient.

Ask for help when needed. Most of the time, there is always someone around the corner—whether literally or figuratively—who is willing to assist in times of difficulty. Unfortunately, you can get carried away with the issues when you fail to stop, think, and look for who can assist. Sometimes, the person who could help the most may not fit your expectations of a professional. In those moments, listen to your gut because it could be your voice of reason. In our airport situation, a front desk staff member was our best resource. Her honest effort to rebook us and make sure that we had a pleasant flight was humbling. So, when you are next in a pickle, ask for help.

It is fair to state that everyone has their breaking point because daily stresses have ways of testing your boiling point. Finding ways to bring yourself into balance is worth knowing. This involves acknowledging the challenge without any pretense, prioritizing your safety and others’, centering yourself and stabilizing the team, and finding meaning in every mishap. And if you happen to travel with your family on vacation, prepare to carry your sleeping bags because you never know where you might sleep for a couple hours before the next flight comes. And when it happens, have fun with it.