My Favorite Stress Management Technique – Courtesy Of Acting Class

Related product in our Etsy shop: 40 motivational journal prompts for your FI journey

Continuing our focus on good health (since August is National Wellness Month), I wanted to share one of my favorite stress management techniques.

Managing stress feels good, and it’s also one of the five key factors in maintaining brain health. Being calm and collected, after properly taming your stress, is also helpful for negotiating – e.g., for a raise, more flexibility on the job – and in this way, stress management is helpful for your FIRE journey too.

The acting teacher who originally shared this technique with me called it “getting in the zone”. He recommended using one of these three triggers to almost instantly quell your anxiety and allow you to focus — at will, on cue and as soon as you step into that audition room.

By picking the right trigger for you, you can perform at your best immediately and not waste precious first impression time warming up or getting over your nervousness.

I was a music major in college (classical piano was my instrument). I did a lot of recitals, even some competitions, and except for a practicing schedule that was timed to get me performance-ready, I never got any specific training for how to be ready for a high-stakes, high-stress event like a recital, competition or audition. I wished I had known about these triggers when I was still in conservatory. At least, I knew about them eventually and use them still for business development meetings, real estate negotiations or any situation where I may be nervous but need to be at my best.

Three Triggers to get you in the zone

1. Listen to an upbeat song
2. Look at a meaningful picture
3. Read a motivational quote

These are three small actions that invoke a strong emotional reaction so that displaces the nervousness and gets you focused. The idea is that you listen to the song on the way to the audition or while you’re in the waiting room. Or you look at the picture or read the quote before you step into the room.

Song suggestions

I was once at a conference where they played Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga to signal that the breaks were over, and it was time to get back to work. The dance beat, plus motivational message made this a great choice since it was a personal development conference. Theme From Rocky is another obvious choice – it’s a true fight song!

I don’t use the song trigger myself, but if I did, I would probably pick Young Turks by Rod Stewart because of this verse:

We got just one shot of life, let’s take it while we’re still not afraid.
Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you’re undecided.
And like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands.

Even reading the lyrics now I want to do a kick-ass job at something!

Picture suggestions

This is the trigger that I use, and below is the actual photo I used when I was new to having my own business and really nervous about sales:

The kids are much older now (we are empty nesters after all!) but early on in my business, when they were younger, glancing at the photo right before a pitch meeting did two things:

1. I was instantly reminded that my life was so much fuller and more meaningful than anything that could happen in this meeting; and
2. I was extra revved up about making the sale since the price of college can fund a retirement and I had two college tuition in our future!

You might also want a relaxing picture:

Or a motivational picture:

Or a funny picture to take the edge off:

This flying baby sticker was in our rental car in Costa Rica. I guess they really want to stress the dangers of improper car seat use, but I laugh every time I see it, and that makes for a reliable stress-buster.

Motivational prompts

I love motivational quotes and keep an ongoing Word document where I capture quotes I like as I read them. As a career advice blogger, I have over 1,500 blog posts at this point with my own reflective prompts and inspirational calls to action. Some examples:

• What would you do differently if you truly believed you could start anew?
• What would happen if you focused on the upside in the decisions you make?
• Where in life are you being too cautious?
• Do you recognize when what you have is good enough?
• Do you spend most of your time wishing you were elsewhere? How can you make your work more like play?
• Do you look at the view or just plow right by?  Pause.  Reset.  Be present.
• Do you focus on the problems or the solutions?

In fact, to help motivate and inspire others on their financial independence journey, the newest product in our Etsy shop is a set of 40 journal prompts. Print the cards at home, and pick one every time you are ready to journal!

What triggers get you in the zone?

I have shared this technique with the students in my job search classes (I’m an adjunct at a grad school in New York City), and these triggers seem to work for all sorts of high-stress events when you want to squash those nerves and quickly get in the zone.

Does the song, picture or quote trigger most resonate with you? Or do you have another method for combating a stressful moment?

Related product in our Etsy shop: 40 motivational journal prompts for your FI journey