Stress-Busting Tips for Dealing with COVID-19

If you’re like a lot of people, dealing with COVID-19 has added a lot of stress to your life. What follows is a short IN:60 episode where I share 3 techniques I’ve been using for years as a way to reduce stress. I’m not a trained therapist, but these techniques have been game-changers in my life.

Transcript: If you’re like a lot of people, COVID-19 has created stress in your business and in your personal life. In this episode of IN:60, I’m going to show you 3 scientifically-proven ways to reduce your stress.

Let’s do this, shall we?

Tip #1: Derail Your Neural Pathways

You’re being bombarded with news and information about COVID-19. You might even be getting a bit OCD about it – playing scripts over-and-over in your mind that cause you stress.

Here’s a simple technique I use that derails those thoughts and get me thinking about other things.

It sounds a little unusual, but it’s worked for me time and time again.

The next time you find yourself compulsively thinking about COVID-19, I’d like you to tap your collar bone like this, while saying to yourself 3 times “change the channel, change the channel, change the channel.”

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “Jamie, that’s crazy.”

And even though I’m not a trained therapist, I can say that I’ve been using this technique for quite some time as a way to shift my mindset from one topic to another.

Give it a try. If it works, great. If not, no biggie!

Tip #2: 2-3-4 Breathing.

This is a technique you can use when you’re in your office, when you’re in meetings, or even when you’re talking with someone.

With this technique, you simply breathe in deeply for a count of 2;

hold it for a count of 3;

and then breathe out for a count of 4.

That 2-3-4 breathing exercise is surprisingly effective at reducing stress and getting your body to relax.

So breathe in for 2.

Hold it for 3.

And breathe out for 4.

Do that 3 times in a row and you’ll feel the stress leaving your body. It’s surprising, but it works.

Tip #3: Learn to Meditate

You’ve seen all the news stories about meditation. You’d be surprised how simple it is to do. And the science behind it shows how it reduces stress, improves clarity of thought, and helps people with decision-making.

I’ve used meditation for decades as a way to manage my ADHD and I can tell you right now, it’s been a game-changer for my career.

Meditation is super easy to learn. Just Google “How to Meditate” and you’ll see plenty of simple techniques. Or click the link in the description below to read my blog post on how to meditate titled “My difficult journey with ADHD and how I learned to manage it.”

That’s all we have time for today. If you like what you saw, be sure to hit the subscribe button and the little bell so you’ll be notified next time I upload a new episode of IN:60.

My name is Jamie Turner. It was great seeing you. And I’ll catch you next time.

About Jamie Turner: Jamie Turner is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and CEO who is a recipient of the Socialnomics “Top Keynote Speaker” award (along with Tony Robbins, Ariana Huffington, and Richard Branson). His client list includes The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T, Microsoft, Verizon, SAP, T-Mobile, and Holiday Inn. You may have seen Jamie in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, Business Insider or the Wall Street Journal. He’s also a regular guest on CNN and HLN where he contributes segments on marketing, persuasion, and leadership. He is an adjunct professor at both Emory University and the University of Texas and has been profiled in the world’s best-selling advertising textbook. Jamie is the co-author of several essential business books including How to Make Money with Social Media; Go Mobile; and Digital Marketing Growth Hacks. He is the founder of 60SecondMarketer.com and has a new YouTube series called IN:60 which is available on YouTube and was designated as one of 8 “Top Business YouTube Channels” in the nation by Wishpond.com. He is also the co-founder of A School Bell Rings, a non-profit that improves access to education for impoverished children around the globe. If you’d like to find out more about having Jamie speak at your next event, click through to JamieTurner.Live.