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