Stress is a reaction to a series of stimuli that exceed (or we believe that they exceed) our resources to cope with them. That is, we get stressed when we believe that we are not capable of managing a certain situation, that it is out of our hands. As a result, we have all, at some point, gone through periods of stress. It’s a normal reaction.
However, just because it is a normal reaction does not mean that it is not harmful and that we should not do everything in our power to combat stress effectively. That is why on this occasion I bring up an excellent technique to see stress from a different perspective: the technique of three-dimensional thinking.
The three-dimensional thinking technique
We often get stressed because we don’t have a realistic perception of time. This is the basic idea of this technique. In fact, we all know that time is subjective; For example, when we are bored it seems that the minutes do not pass but when we are having fun the hours fly by.
In the same way, when we are stressed we think about all the things we have left to do and it seems to us that we will not have enough time, then the feeling of overwhelm is generated. We continue to think obsessively and convince ourselves that we have to finish all the work in an instant, without taking a single minute of rest.
This feeling of urgency generates an automatic response in our body. That is, our body prepares to face this workload by releasing large doses of adrenaline and cortisol, which in turn enhance the feeling of stress. It is a vicious circle that we create ourselves and then we become its victim.
The good news is that we can change our perspective, we can fight stress with the three-dimensional thinking technique.
It is about creating in your mind a three-dimensional image of the project you must carry out, you must consider:
– The length: how much real time do you have at your disposal to finish the project, exam or assignment? Determine the end date and the number of days left. This way you will be able to have a more objective perception of the time you have at your disposal.
– The width: how many hours should you work a day to achieve your goal? This way you will be planning, you will know exactly how much you must work to achieve the goal.
– The depth: how important is the project? Remember that you have a life beyond study or work. By giving the project the place it deserves, you will make it less threatening and thus you will stress less. Furthermore, by getting involved in other activities you will be able to relax and return to the project with new energy, which will allow you to be more effective and perhaps even finish in a shorter period of time than expected.
Once you have eliminated or reduced the feeling of stress, you can calmly and objectively plan the tasks you must complete.
