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Do you constantly check your email? When you have an unexpected hour of free time do you race to fill it? Do you find it difficult to turn your mind off at bedtime? Do you drive fast even when you are not in rush? Marc Schoen in Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You. Retrain Your Brain to Conquer Fear, Make Better Decisions, and Thrive in the 21^st Century indicates that if you answered yes to any one of the questions you might be in trouble long term.  In our fast paced, information rich world our bodies might think we are constantly in need of our “flight response” which isn’t a good long-term strategy.  He recommends using some of the following to minimize your survival instinct kicking in.

• Take a technology time out-stop all technology involved with work 1-2 hours before bedtime and minimize using on weekends or when with friends/ family.
• Value and tolerate imperfection-working towards perfection is a recipe for unhappiness since it is unrealistic.
• Limit the flood of sensory input-minimize multitasking and interruptions as much as possible.
• Chill at bedtime-listen to relaxing music prior to bedtime.
• S-L-O-W down-when you eat, talk with others, drive, run errands, etc.
• Stop procrastinating-set aside a day a week that you work on what you have been procrastinating on.
• Stop trying to get it all done-accept that getting everything done is unrealistic as is perfection.
• Embrace uncertainty-develop an increased sense of comfort and tolerance for what you can’t control.
• Kick the anger habit-give up your anger and embrace forgiveness. Life is too short to be angry all the time.
• Keep a regular schedule-develop consistency in your basic aspects such as eating, exercising and bedtime. The body likes predictability.
• Expand your comfort zone-if not challenged our comfort zone shrinks so stretch it by doing new and different things.
• Take a breather-for 1-2 minutes, several times a day, take deep breaths, which reduce stress and allow you to thing about what you are doing and where you are.
• Delay your needs for gratification-identify the areas where you frequently require instant gratification such as if you send an em or text and expect a quick response-challenge yourself to relax and accept whatever happens.
• Practice hanging out-take a timeout for yourself such as sitting quietly and just being still and enjoy doing nothing.
• Shake a leg-even short bouts of exercise can enormously helpful such as taking a short brisk walk or using the stairs.

Please share what you have found to be helpful in minimizing your stress.