It is more or less impossible to not experience frequent bouts of intense stress. The difference between those who are successful and those who aren’t is not whether or not you suffer from stress, but how you deal with it when you do. Here are nine scientifically-proven strategies for defeating stress whenever it strikes:

1. Have Self-Compassion

2. Think About the “Big Picture”

3. Rely on Routines

4. Take Five (or 10) Minutes to Do Something You Find Interesting

5. Add “Where” and “When” to Your To-Do List

6. Use “If-Thens” for Positive Self-Talk

7. See Your Work in Terms of Progress, Not Perfection

8. Think About the Progress That You’ve Already Made

9. Know Whether Optimism or Defensive Pessimism Works for You

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