Stress is common in everyday life, while some of us keep it to a minimum there are few of us that avoid it altogether.

Take for example Gillian – a wife and a mother of 3 young boys, a homemaker who runs the household chores and fulfills everyone’s needs, from fixing the breakfast, shopping, cooking, to tucking the boys in to sleep at night.

Now let’s look at Lucy, an entrepreneur who runs her own event management company – She makes crucial judgement decisions for her thriving business, making sure that everything is properly checked, managing an organisation of 369 employees, from expenses, suppliers and client deals, she is hands-on in managing her team.

Both women with different lifestyles, yet they share the same reality that almost everyone, from all walks of life, regardless of culture and geography, is facing – stress.

Stress is natural and everywhere, there are healthy forms of stress that can help us fulfill our goals and objectives, but there are some forms of stress that consume us and become detrimental to our health. No one has the monopoly of dodging it.

When dealing with stress it is very important to maintain a positive outlook, to know that this stress won’t last forever and to get support when you feel you can’t handle the stress.

Here are three mantras to help you deal with stressful situations:

1) Maintain a positive outlook – “I am in control of my emotions”

You can do this by keeping a daily gratitude journal and by recognising your emotions, notice the feelings and emotions but don’t succumb to them, just sit quietly recognise they are there and then tell yourself “I am in control of my emotions”, continually repeat this until it really sinks in because no-one controls your emotions but you.

2) Empower yourself “Feel the fear and do it anyway”

One of our favourite family sayings is “Feel the fear and do it anyway”, it’s ok to be scared, it’s ok to have that feeling in the pit of your stomach, to feel the sweat on the palms of your hands, it’s OK.

There is one surefire cure for these feelings of fear “Do it anyway”, just do it and then the fear will be gone!

3) Don’t stop trying – “I only fail when I stop trying”

Because you don’t fail anything until you give up right? You are trying and trying is about as far removed from failing as possible.

So to summarise, here are your mantras for stressful situations:

1. “I am in control of my emotions”
2. “Feel the fear and do it anyway”
3. “I only fail when I stop trying”

And lastly, if you find the feelings of stress and overwhelm are just too much to handle seek help from a trained professional.

Do you have any other tips to help cope with stress? Please share in the comments below.

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