Psychology enhances our capabilities for adaptive and effective behaviour that enable individuals to deal correctly with the demands and demanding situations of regular lifestyles. Our potential and ability to cope depends on how well we are prepared to deal with and counterbalance everyday demands, and keeps equilibrium in our lives. These life skills can be learned and even improved upon by understanding certain Psychological attributes: Assertiveness, Time Management, Rational Thinking, Improving Relationships and Self-Care.
Assertiveness: Assertiveness is a behaviour or skill that helps to communicate, clearly and confidently, our feelings, needs, wants, and thoughts. It is the ability to say no to a request, to state an opinion without being self-conscious, or to express emotions such as love, anger, etc. openly.
Time Management: The way you spend your time determines the quality of your life. Learning how to plan time and delegate can help to relieve the pressure. The major way to reduce time stress is to change one’s perception of time. The central principle of time management is to spend your time doing the things that you value, or that help you to achieve your goals.
Rational Thinking: When we are stressed, we have an inbuilt selective bias to attend to negative thoughts and images from the past, which affect our perception of the present and the future. Some principles of rational thinking are: challenging your distorted thinking and irrational beliefs, driving out potentially intrusive negative anxiety-provoking thoughts, and making positive statements.
Improving Relationships: The key to a sound lasting relationship is communication. This consists of three essential skills: listening to what the other person is saying, expressing how you feel and what you think, and accepting the other person’s opinions and feelings, even if they are different from your own.
Self-care: If we keep ourselves healthy, fit and relaxed, we are better prepared physically and emotionally to tackle the stresses of everyday life.
Author: Pankhuri Pilania – Counselling Psychologist
