Learning to Live with Stress: Turning Pressure into Power

We live in a world that moves fast, deadlines chase us, responsibilities pile up, and expectations never seem to end. Everyone talks about wanting “an stress-free life,” but when you really think about it, is that even possible? From waking up early to chase your goals to dealing with life’s random curveballs, stress has become a natural part of existence. The truth is, the moment you decide to do something meaningful, stress shows up uninvited. It’s not always the enemy; sometimes it’s just life’s way of reminding us that growth requires pressure. So maybe the goal isn’t to avoid stress completely, but to understand it, control it, and make it work for us instead of against us.

I have many friends who think I live a stress free life because I work from home but the truth is that, both on-site and online work all come with their own kind of stress, so thinking we can avoid stress is like thinking we can avoid getting wet if we walk inside the rain. No matter how better we manage our time or energy, stress will always find a way into our life. How can stress build up? You may ask, stress can come in various forms.

Sometimes, it starts small, a missed deadline here, a sleepless night there, or a pile of unfinished tasks that keep whispering at the back of your mind. Before you know it, those little things start to stack up, and suddenly you feel like you’re drowning in responsibilities you never planned for. That’s how stress builds up, quietly, gradually, until it becomes too heavy to ignore.

This is to tell you that stress can come from anything so it very correct to say that it can’t be avoided. Fun fact, if we try to avoid anything we believe can or will stress us, then we should be prepare not to get anything done.

Sometimes, it’s not even about doing too much, it’s about thinking too much. Overanalyzing every situation, replaying mistakes in our heads, or worrying about things beyond our control can be just as exhausting as physical labor. That’s why managing stress isn’t just about resting the body; it’s also about calming the mind.

I have been in a situation where I had to still with someone with inferiority complex, and this person always feel like you’re looking down on him and he would do everything to proof that he isn’t a small person. Many time when we have a problem to discuss about, he always want to take the lead meanwhile he is not the lead. Many time thinking about him stresses me out, talking to him has a way of draining my energy. And this is someone I work with most time, I’m mostly drained after having just few conversations with him because he makes everything about himself, meanwhile there is me who just want to work and get things over with.

Truth be told, there is no way I can avoid him but there are ways I can deal with him. I already understand, so when he starts displaying displeasing attitude, I just look for a way to move away from that place at that time or change the conversation, if the conversation is not resolved, I’ll just involve someone with a much more higher authority than us both. This way I have been able to manage the situation and my stress level has reduced drastically.

At the end of the day, stress isn’t something we can eliminate, it’s something we must learn to live with wisely. It’s part of being human, part of striving for something bigger than comfort. The goal shouldn’t be to escape stress but to understand our triggers, set healthy boundaries, and know when to step back. Sometimes, it’s not the situation that needs to change, but our reaction to it. When you learn to control what you can and let go of what you can’t, you’ll find that stress loses its power over you. Life will always have its share of pressure, but how we handle it determines whether it breaks us or builds us.

>Thanks for Reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.