During my forced day indoors today, I got to thinking about stress factors and how we handle them individually. Personally, I feel that I handle stress well. However, when I begin to break down the process in which I dissect and address each element to whatever is causing the stress, it becomes more complicated.

The word stress is commonly used to indicate a heightened sense of anxiety and emotion. Some people handle it better than others. When your horse loses a shoe the day before you’re due to leave for an event or when an unexpected vet bill comes up, how do you handle it? What about the pressure of running a barn? How do you juggle the responsibilities of keeping your boarders and their horses happy with making sure the barn is well run and profitable at the same time? I’ve made a short list of ways to identify and address stress factors for you to mull over. I hope you find them helpful. Feel free to add your own in the comments!

1. Make a list

Are you having a particular stressful day? The best way to begin addressing it is to identify exactly what is causing your stress. There are times when I will stop and think about what is causing a particularly stressful day, but I have to ensure that I correctly identify it. If there is something major on your mind, it can begin to affect smaller things throughout the day, therefore creating a snowball effect. Before you know it, you’re sitting on your couch with a strong drink and wondering how your day went downhill so quickly. So, make a list. Write down the major things that may be causing stress. Are you concerned about selling the last horse in your sale barn? Wondering how you’re going to repair the piping system in the barn? Write it down. Sometimes getting it out of your head and onto a piece of paper can help you continue on with your day without letting everything get out of control.

2. Formulate a plan

How do you plan to address the stress factors? It is beneficial to make a step by step plan of attack. Let’s say you are concerned about hiring enough barn help for the upcoming competition season. Have you outlined a budget that you need to stay within when hiring? What about advertising or otherwise getting the word out that you are in need of some help? Do you have an interview or a job-shadow process in mind for identifying the best candidates? Do you have a job description ready for interested parties to study? All of these steps will help you get the hiring process done in a timely manner. Having a plan is the best way to deal with multiple stress factors.

3. Think positive

We all have days when we literally are not sure how we will make it to tomorrow. I am in the process of moving, and some unexpected factors (including this massive snowstorm) have thrown a sizable wrench into my plans. While I am trying to make a plan for completing my move, I keep telling myself that in a week’s time everything will be over and I will be able to move on to the next chapter. This way of thinking keeps me going through even the most stressful days. If I can just keep working and strategizing for how to work through whatever problems I am currently having, eventually I will be able to move on to the next day. I can’t stress enough that a positive attitude and a willingness to adapt and adjust are imperative when you are dealing with stress.

4. Have a support system

Who do you call when you just need to vent? Do you have a trainer, a mentor, or just a close friend who is on your speed dial for times like these? Sometimes a good conversation can be just the cure for a hard and stressful day. For me, even sitting down and writing is a good outlet for reducing my stress level. Sometimes it is better to get things off of your chest so that you can return to a logical and rational way of thinking. When a day has thrown one thing after another at you, it’s difficult to keep thinking on a rational basis. When you are ready to tear your hair out and are not sure what your next move should be, perhaps calling on a friend to bounce ideas off of or simply just to vent is the best idea.

5. Keep your eye on the prize

Along the same lines of positive thinking, always have a goal in mind. What is your end goal once you are able to address the elements of stress? Are you aiming to purchase a new horse? What about moving up a level this year? Whatever your goal is, keep it in mind. Remember that you are working towards some sort of end goal, no matter how big or small it is. It wouldn’t be normal if life didn’t throw every possible obstacle in your way, but think of how satisfying it will be to come out on the other side and know that you deserve this victory? Your goal doesn’t have to be to ride on the US team. My goal right now is just to get back on a horse sometime before I turn 30. When I am able to do it? You can bet that I will know that I earned every single second of saddle time.

I’ve found that stress is something that you have to choose to deal with. Some people shut down or go into panic mode when they have a lot on their plate. As horse people, we have learned to improve our adaptation skills since we know that horses don’t usually follow plans. When our plans go awry, the best we can do is keep our heads up and formulate a new strategy for moving on to the next step. Don’t let the hard days get you down, EN, and keep kicking on for the big prize!