![\"How](\"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_auto,c_fit,w_1920,q_auto\/wp-cms\/uploads\/2024\/02\/p-91033609-thrive-under-stress.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEvery day, you encounter stressors. Some are genuine, such as unexpectedly being called into your boss\u2019s office when your company is going through layoffs. Some aren\u2019t quite so serious, like when you\u2019re stuck in traffic. And some are in-between, like when you\u2019re stuck in traffic on your way to catch a flight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
All that stress can add up, and how you cope will impact the strain you put on your nervous system, says Errol Doebler, author of\u00a0Ice Cold Leader: Leading from the Inside Out<\/em><\/a>. He should know; Doebler\u2019s r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is unique. He is one of the few who has served as a Naval Warfare Officer, Navy SEAL Officer, FBI Special Agent, and SWAT Operator.<\/p>\n A former combat veteran, Doebler was living with a traumatic brain injury that had been undiagnosed for 20 years. \u201cIt hadn\u2019t come through in a scan before,\u201d he says. \u201cI randomly ran into a doctor who found it. He said, \u2018The part of your brain responsible for processing emotions is dormant. It doesn\u2019t work. There\u2019s no energy going to it. You\u2019ve been dealing with this for over 20 years. How did you survive?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Unknowingly, Doebler had adopted behaviors that helped him cope. \u201cWithout even knowing it, I won a battle that should have killed me,\u201d he says. \u201cI used it for combat situations, stressful situations in the FBI\u2014life and death stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even if your brain is different, you can use this same process to move through your own daily stress. The first step is emotional awareness. Doebler\u2019s process involved recognizing your emotions, identifying the intuitive action based on the emotion, and then mindfully deciding if that behavior suits the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it isn\u2019t the right behavior, then what\u2019s my plan to get through this?\u201d he explains. \u201cI would do that every time I walked into a room.\u201d<\/p>\n To better understand your emotions, Doebler recommends logging them four times a day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIt could be you\u2019re angry because you have to log this emotion,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t care what it is. I want you to be able to identify and articulate it. By the end of the first week, people come back and say, \u2018I didn\u2019t realize how angry or frustrated I was all the time, and I didn\u2019t realize this is how I acted on that.\u2019 It\u2019s the awareness and the recognition that has to be first and foremost on your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n The next step is to break down what you want to do with the emotion. Look at how you usually handle stress. Maybe you procrastinate. Maybe you yell. Maybe you run. To better understand how you react, Doebler, a certified instructor in the\u00a0Wim Hof Method<\/a>, recommends taking a cold shower or ice bath.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to have plenty of emotions before you turn that water on, while it\u2019s cold, and after you\u2019re done,\u201d he says. \u201cThat becomes a drill to practice emotional awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n Cold exposure therapy will give you insights into how you handle stress, he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a tool because it\u2019s probably the way you behave in real life,\u201d says Doebler. \u201cYou get a clearer picture of what you like and what you don\u2019t like. If you don\u2019t go through your day fully aware of how you\u2019re feeling, any tip or trick isn\u2019t going to work, because you\u2019re not going to exercise it.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re brave enough to try it, cold exposure also allows you to recognize stress truly. \u201cWe don\u2019t recognize stress anymore, because it\u2019s so constant,\u201d says Doebler. \u201cWhen you get into an ice bath, it\u2019s a reminder that\u2019s what stress feels like.\u201d<\/p>\n It also\u00a0has benefits<\/a>, adds Doebler. \u201cScientifically, we know it resets the nervous system,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd when it resets the nervous system, it clears the information from the body caused by stress. You can start thinking clearly about the process.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Once you identify the emotions and what triggers them, Doebler says using the power of your breath helps you handle stress. You can also take five-minute breaks to\u00a0practice breathwork.<\/a>\u00a0Or use it before you go into a stressful situation.<\/p>\n \u201cYour inhale and exhale start to activate your nervous system that will serve to calm you down,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re taking a moment, and you can start making decisions.\u00a0How am I feeling? Is this the right behavior? What\u2019s my plan to get through this?<\/em>\u00a0Do that every single time when you\u2019re faced with a challenge and problem to solve.\u201d<\/p>\n While you can practice breathing in the moment, Doebler recommends starting a practice when you wake up. \u201cYou are resetting your nervous system, walking into your day from ground zero,\u201d he says. \u201cThe inflammation is not built up. The stress isn\u2019t already overtaking you before you\u2019ve had your first cup of coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n By recognizing your emotions, understanding their origins, and choosing the behavior you want to adopt, you\u2019ll become better equipped to deal with stress.<\/p>\n \u201cThe process always starts with emotion,\u201d says Doebler. \u201cAt the end of the day, you have to recognize how to move forward in a way that\u2019s positive to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n <\/p>\n Original post-Fast\u00a0Company<\/a><\/p>\n BY\u00a0STEPHANIE VOZZA<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Photo by Anthony Tran<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first step to dealing with stress is recognizing your emotions, says this former combat veteran. [Source Photo:\u00a0Anthony Tran\/Unsplash] Every day, you encounter stressors. Some are genuine, such as unexpectedly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false},"categories":[139],"tags":[136,137,138,236,143,120,147,165,151],"class_list":["post-84847","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-life-blog","tag-ais","tag-american-institute-of-stress","tag-anxiety","tag-combat-stress","tag-mental-health","tag-stress","tag-stress-management","tag-stress-relief","tag-workplace-stress","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR EMOTIONS<\/strong><\/h2>\n
DETERMINE WHAT TO DO WITH THE EMOTION<\/strong><\/h2>\n
TAP INTO BREATHWORK<\/strong><\/h2>\n