Have you ever felt a wave of anxiety or stress come over you, that felt like it hit you in the face? All of a sudden you are spiraling in “how to”, “how fast”, “what do they expect out of me?”, "I can't believe this/them", "how am I ever going to do this?".
In those moments, take a deep breath! An actual deep breath! Filling your lungs that your ribs expand to the great point, inhaling through your nose. Then SLOWLY, exhaling through your nose, letting all of it go till there is nothing left to release.
Note:
A LOT of stress that looks like this is actually just the expectations you have set for yourself. Most of the time, others are thinking something completely different. Sometimes they aren't thinking about you at all. A request for something doesn't always come with huge expectations that we seem to assume or put onto ourselves. So, instead of projecting our own expectations and allowing the negative spiral to begin, notice who’s expectations you are actually experiencing.
Remember:
It is usually our own expectations and/or perceptions that create internal stress. Ask yourself who’s expectations are these? Where are they coming from? Are they actually realistic? And where do I need to place grace and patience for myself?
Change your expectations of the self and you’ll change your perception of the situation.