There are some great acronyms out there. SCUBA which means ‘self-contained underwater breathing apparatus’ and Radar which is ‘radio detecting and ranging’.

One I find absolutely ideal for a stressful day is H.A.L.T.

Taken from the 12-step program, HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely, tired.

These four factors are major contributors to the overwhelm we often feel, so using HALT gives us a quick way to find solutions for our stress.

Action – Next time you feel agitated, grumpy or overwhelmed, ask yourself – am I hungry, angry, lonely or tired?

If you’re hungry, eat something, preferably protein

If you’re angry, figure out why and with whom

If you feel lonely, call a friend or confidante

And of course if you’re tired, take a break.

You could answer yes to one or more, so recognize what it is and immediately take action. If you’re still stress afterwards, at least you’ll be in a much better position to handle what’s really bothering you.

(Of the four – hungry, angry, lonely, tired – which do you think most often affects you? Please leave your reply in the comments box.)

2 Responses

  1. This is an awesome acronym and one that will be easy to institute when dealing with stress. Of the four, I find I’m usually tired.

  2. I agree on the tired bit, but sometimes when you are in your office all day without talking to anyone lonely factors in 🙂

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