How to handle stressful situations

Life is a continuous challenge, and sometimes we face a big one, and feel unprepared for it. Here's how to approach an unfamiliar, stressful problem: just remember the mnemonic STRAIN....

• Scale: on a scale of 1-10, how big is this problem ? is it a real problem (cancer, death, divorce ?) or an inconvenience (difficult customer, bad debt ?). This helps put the issue into proportion, along with...
• Time: how big an issue will this be in 6 months' time ? how will I feel about it then ?
• Response: now review the suitability and value of your approach so far. Has my response to date been appropriate ? has your approach been effective ?
• Action: ok, something bad's happened: but it's happened, so move on. What action is right from here forwards ? Perhaps we need to accept that that was then and this is now, so move on, and take a different approach.
• Implications: What would you do differently next time ? How can you take action to avoid or even prevent this happening in the future ?
• Nourish: ok, it's over now, and won't happen again. So what have you learned ? Take the positive message that you have survived, a stronger and better person.

Good luck !