How Hard Should I Push Myself?

Reduce the repeated exposure you have to stressors, especially the unnecessary or irrelevant ones. If you can’t fully avoid a stressor, try your best to reduce its intensity. Don’t let even the tiniest of stressors linger or repeat, and actively work on developing the skills you need to cope with stressors as they affect your life.

Healthy, effective stress management includes physical exercise, talking things over with friends, family, or professional counselors, taking vacations, pursuing hobbies, praying, meditating, solving problems, and practicing relaxation techniques like

Chronic Stressor → Chronic Stress. Sometimes your brain activates a stress response, you do the thing it says, and it doesn’t change the situation:

The same is true with stress. A little bit of stress feels challenging and invigorating, often increasing meaningfulness, purpose, and a sense of importance. But as responsibilities increase as you go through life, you start to habituate to higher and higher levels of stress. Staying busy and feeling pressured begin to feel like the right way to li