Definition of coasting:
1 . Move easily without using power.
2 . Act or make progress without making much effort.
Managing stress should be as easy and effortless …
C. Co-operate with others
We all know a problem shared is a problem halved. This is true in keeping calm and stress free too. Co-operation with others is essential to any project. Great projects are completed by teamwork and can’t be achieved alone. Together we can achieve great things, work more efficiently, and to everyone’s benefit. The essential part of any anger management programme is to co-operate with others by using a support network of a group of people, who you can call on to talk to and co-operate with, in your hour of need. Co-operation is an integral tool in keeping calm and stress free.
O. Be observant and objective
‘Stop, think, take a look at the bigger picture’ is the first Rule of Anger Management. It’s about being aware before reacting to a situation. People tend to deal with stressful situations on an emotional level. Lost in the ‘Red Mist’, you will more often than not find yourself in a police cell waiting for your solicitor to bail you out, when you could have stopped, thought about it, and looked at the bigger picture before reacting emotionally and getting yourself in trouble. It’s about being in the present moment and being aware of what is transpiring around you.
A. Attitude
Watch your attitude, and remember empathy does get results. It’s so easy to resort back to the mentality of our childhoods when we are angry and stressed. Maturity flies out of the window and our empathy is thrown out with it. Remember empathy does get results, try it, put yourself in the other person’s shoes and your attitude will inevitably change. Try to remember to keep your eye on the goal or the job you’re doing, because a positive attitude can help bring out the best in people and yourself. With the right mental attitude you can change the world.
S. Safe, stay safe
We must be thoughtful to prioritize ourselves and put our own safety first, to ensure the safety of others. After all, if you aren’t safe, your family won’t be. Nobody wants to think they are putting themselves or anyone else in danger, but we do when we are raging, stressed and in a fury. Stress and anger seriously harms the safety of everyone and we must be aware of the danger signs. Stress and anger makes a victim out of all of us and can only be defeated by dealing with the causes of stress and anger head on.
T. Think
Think outside the box, be creative and visualize a positive outcome. Only by being prepared to think outside the box, do you send the signal to your subconscious that you are ready to change your lifestyle. Thinking outside the box opens up a world of endless possibilities and solutions. There is no longer a need to hit your head against the wall in frustration because you would now be exploring the paths and ideas which you otherwise would have dismissed without a second thought. You will become aware of what kept you in the box and you will be free.
C.O.A.S.T – Keeping this simple strategy in mind can make a world of difference.
Mike Fisher, founder of the British Association of Anger Management (BAAM) has helped over 16,000 people since 1996 coast themselves to a stress and anger free future.
