How to Thrive and Grow Under Pressure

Living amid a culture inundated with to-do lists, appointments and social commitments, the weight of daily tasks often leaves us feeling a little zapped out. These pressures not only risk us falling behind in various ways, but can also send our mental and emotional well-being into a downward spiral.

Before the stresses of life get to you and start mounting on your health, it's essential to reclaim control of difficulties and make the most of your challenges. After all, pressure makes diamonds and, as we know, diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Surrender to the Moment

Psychologists have discovered embracing stress and the weight of our daily lives is more important than trying to reduce it. As numerous research indicates, opening our minds and surrendering to the moment can make us stronger, smarter, and happier. However, this is a difficult concept to grasp, as our brains are hard-wired to fight or flee, and we would need to have a high tolerance for uncertainty. Easier said than done, right? But through acceptance and courage, we thrive, become resilient and can tackle problems head on. Surrendering to the moment can bring great relief.

Meditate

Meditating is one of the best ways to overcome pressure. By bringing a conscious attention to every activity and interaction you make throughout the day, you're able to clear your head and bring a sense of yourself back to your core. Meditation does wonders for your heart and mind — especially through "toglen meditation." Known to ease the pain of heavy afflictions by connecting with the struggles of others and acknowledge its existence, this technique helps to develop compassion and perspective.

Remove Toxic People From Your Life

"Toxic" feels like an overused word, doesn't it? But it's real. Noted by many therapists as an individual who constantly infects positive momentum with personal drama, toxic people look for ways to control others, disregard boundaries, and are never responsible for themselves or their actions. When we let them in, we coil up into a ball of negative energy and let them damage our sense of self. We give them authority to cause chaos and doubt in our lives, followed with a destructive attitude that damages our psyche. Instead, surround yourself with positive people who are practical, content and supportive to your foundations.

Ask for Help

It's important to recognize those fragile moments we have in our life and work with them — not against them. Of course, it's frightening to be vulnerable and let your guard down, but lean on others during times of crisis or change. We were born to live with others for a reason. If you want to control the pressures in your life, ask for help. Asking never weakens you, but it does create a resilient connection and humility.

Manage Your Energy

It can be incredibly frustrating when we're juggling a busy schedule and things don't go according to plan. But that frustration drips into our productivity and hinders our energy, depleting us of creativity and inspiration. One of the best ways to grow through pressure is to manage your energy instead of focusing on managing your time. Make room for recovery during the day to lessen the weight of tasks. Allocate time to have fun and stick to it. If you believe you need an hour off, give it to yourself. Enlist the help of family and friends to keep you social and active. Make a list of relaxing things you can do like yoga, an hour with Netflix and even wine time. Break down your goals and reward yourself often.

Know Yourself

The key to growing through pressure is believing in yourself. If you don't think you can make it through an obstacle, why should anyone else? When you truly believe in what you can do, an incredible amount of positive energy will follow close behind. Never doubt yourself and believe that you deserve good things -- you deserve to be happy with all your efforts.