Strategy, Tactics and Stress Management.

Tactics without a strategy is going to keep you going in circles.

Strategy without the tactics action steps might make you a good planner, but you won't move. 

When it comes to managing stress tactics are methods, action steps, activities used to lower your stress response.

In the moment tactics which are pretty popular and can be impactful...
😮‍💨Breath work
📝Journaling 
🧘🏻‍♂️Mindfullness/meditation
🌿Nature
😂Laughter
🤔Responding not reacting

And many more. 

Stand alone, and in the moment these can all work, but they can be more impactful longer term, when bundled into a strategy.

The strategy is to change your relationship with stress. 

Using some or all of the tactics above. 

Practicing under increasing stress and pressure, reflecting on what happened and then refining.

Each tactic effectively implemented moves us 1 step closer to changing our relationship with stress.

Here's an example (this is me btw.).

Very stressed person learns breath work, implements breathing tactics to gain clarity and calm in the moment multiple times per day. 

Does this for months. Continues to react to stress and then do the 'quick fix' breathing exercises. Nothing really changes. 

Stops. Considers strategy and the goal 'to change relationship with stress'. Said person now uses the tactics still but reflects on situations and seeks to understand why. 

Spots stress building, implements tactics earlier, tactics become more potent, stress relationship altered and control gained. 

Tactics + strategy for the win.

Where do you fall down?
Tactics or strategy?