Sometimes the pressure of school, work, and even a social life can weigh you down. Passing classes, making deadlines, and dealing with people can be very emotionally taxing, causing unnecessary problems in our lives. Not all problems can disappear completely, but you can change the way you respond to them.

Navigating your feelings, emotions, and expectations, will facilitate reaching your goals more efficiently and relieve some of the negativity that we inevitably face. Here are a few steps to building better coping practices and keeping your mind right despite what’s going on around you.

Step 1: Change your expectations

Many of us may set unrealistic expectations when it comes to our results. While it is very necessary to dream big in order to get great results, you must keep in mind the level of time and work you are willing and able to give. If the toll of a task is too much for you to handle, consider revising your expectations to fit the level of effort you are exercising.

Maybe you underestimate yourself and need to heighten your expectations to meet the level of work you are putting in. On the other hand, you may need to lower your expectations to meet your work effort. Either way, be cautious of how expectations influence your emotional response.

Step 2: Work in the best way for you

While we are often given standardized and formulaic ways of working and executing tasks, these may not be the best methods for you. Your unique experiences, creativity, and ideas are distinctly tethered to who you are as a person. It is important to do things in a way that makes you feel your best and utilizes your talents at full capacity.

As you change your methods to fit your style of work, the work itself will become easier and less energy consuming. By changing the way you approach problems to fit what works best for you, you will be more easily able to achieve your goals.

Step 3: Keep your self-interest at heart

This step is the most essential in practicing self-care and preserving your emotional integrity. While going through your daily routine, it may be easy to forget how important your mental health is. It is very necessary to give yourself proper downtime and relaxation, allowing you to recuperate from work and responsibility.

Taking time for a long nap, a good book, or even a Netflix night is important for giving yourself the love you need and deserve. Whatever you choose to do, pick something that truly makes you happy and provides you relief.

In incorporating these steps into your daily life, the change is dependent on how you choose to reinforce them. While it may be difficult at first, it is important to persist and continue on your journey. Self-care and improvement is not an overnight process, so don’t expect it to be. Just know that with proper time and practice, you can create a better life for yourself and stay calm in the midst of any storm.