Introduction to Mental
Stress Reduction Techniques 
Reducing the Importance of an Event
Anticipation & Avoidance
By anticipating stress you can prepare for it and work out how to control it when it happens. This can be can be carried out in a number of ways:
- Rehearsal:
By running through a stressful event such as an interview or a speech several times in advance you can polish your performance and build confidence.
- Planning:
By analysing the likely causes of stress, you will be able to plan your responses to likely forms of stress. These might be actions to alleviate the situation or may be stress management techniques that you will use. It is important that you formally plan for this - it is little use just worrying in an undisciplined way - this will be counter-productive. Formal planning of responses to stress is explained in the Mind Tools section on athletes' on-site psych plans.
- Avoidance:
Where a situation is likely to be unpleasant, and will not yield any benefit to you, it may be one you can just avoid. You should be certain in your own mind, however, that this is the case.
Highly Recommended Books
For an excellent book on stress management, try
The Book of Stress Survival - How to Relax and Live Positively
by Alix Kirsta. This is a very pleasant, well-presented, sensible approach to stress management. It covers many important areas completely
ignored by most other books.
Introduction to Mental
Stress Reduction Techniques
Reducing the Importance of an Event
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