For many of us it’s time to return to work. The relaxing times during the holidays give, in many cases, place to the stress of the return, the countless emails waiting for response and the tasks that accumulate.
Knowing your MBTI type can also help you deal with these stressful moments by helping to recognize when it comes and trying to control it. Now let’s take a look at how you can use your knowledge of Myers-Briggs® type to help you recognize and hopefully remedy that stress. Below are a few ways to manage stress that can apply to all Myers-Briggs types, and we’ve found them to be a good starting point. Stress can take a toll on you mentally, emotionally, and physically, and the first tips for calming down fast pertain to your physical body. Keep reading for specific recommendations of actions for each of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types.
Move Around
A great way to deal with stress is to get up and move. Whether that be going for a quick walk outside, flowing through a few heart-pumping sun salutations, or even doing jumping jacks or sit-ups, these are all ways to get your blood moving and help calm you down. “Exercise relaxes tense muscles that become tight and rigid when you experience stress,” says Kathleen Hall, chief executive of The Stress Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, an educational and training firm that focuses on the effects of stress and how to relieve it. “Exercise delivers oxygen to the brain, vital organs, and muscles immediately and produces endorphins that soothe your mind and body.”
Do a Stress Check
Dr. Oz recommends doing a stress check to try to figure out how stressed you are. Are your shoulders hunched up next to your ears? Are you leaning over in a position that could hurt your back? Are you pacing or bouncing your legs up and down? Is your breathing shallow and quick? Taking a mental note of these physical symptoms of stress and then actively trying to eliminate them (e.g., by lowering and relaxing your shoulders, sitting up straight) will help reduce your stress immediately. Speaking of breathing…
Just Breathe
Find a quiet place and take five minutes to slow your breathing. Take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a count of three, then slowly let it out through your mouth. Or try what stress expert Wendy Duncan calls “heart coherence” breathing. First, place your left hand over your heart, then imagine your breath flowing through your heart. Take four counts to breathe in and another four counts to breathe out. Then imagine the feelings of love, joy, or compassion radiating out of you like beams of light.
“This method was discovered in the late 1970s during heart transplant research,” says Duncan, founder of Wendy Duncan International in Redmond, Oregon, which offers stress-relief programs, retreats, and workshops. According to Duncan, “The key finding is that your heart has its own brain and intelligence. Heart activity impacts you dramatically and others around you. Synchronizing your heart and mind has immediate benefits in relieving stress.”
A little less stressed now? Good!
Below are a few ideas to try when signs of stress for each Myers-Briggs personality type become visible.
ISTJ and ISFJ – Signs of stress for them might be obsessing about unimportant information, or being overly dogmatic. One remedy might be to take some time alone to appreciate the details around you. Or think about other times when stressful situations ended positively.
ESTP and ESFP – Signs of stress for them might be speaking or acting without thinking, or being very blunt or curt. We suggest that this type not forget to ask others for help. Even if it’s just a little reassurance, reach out to others when you’re stressed.
INFJ and INTJ – Signs of stress for them might be forcing data to fit their pattern or practical meaning or retreating inward. One remedy might be to ensure you schedule some downtime or time for yourself to re energize.
ENFP and ENTP – Signs of stress for them might be wanting to make change just for the sake of novelty, or feeling so swamped with options that they’re unable to make a decision. Make sure to pay attention to your physical needs, such as the need for exercise. Also remember that sometimes it’s OK to say no.
ISTP and INTP – Signs of stress for them might be getting lost in concentration, or becoming detached from others. One remedy might be to take time to regroup. Try to mentally take yourself out of the situation for a different vantage point.
ESTJ and ENTJ – Signs of stress for them might be insisting that everything be rational, or oversimplifying for the sake of clarity. Try to remedy that stress by doing some physical activity or talking to someone close to you.
ISFP and INFP – Signs of stress for them might be trying to “rescue” people who haven’t requested help or becoming hypersensitive to the point that they end up isolating themselves. Spend as much time alone as you need. Focus on what’s right rather than what’s wrong.
ESFJ and ENFJ – Signs of stress for them might be becoming intrusive or prying, or losing focus and becoming scattered. One remedy might be to talk things over with someone outside the situation. In addition, be sure to take time to refocus on your values.
Original article “4 Ways to De-Stress for Each of the Myers-Briggs Personality Types”
by Melissa (MBTI online)