I think we all wind up feeling stress. Either in our jobs or at home. Stress seems to be a normal part of living these days, and small stresses aren't harmful. Big stresses are, though, as they release hormones into our system that can increase blood pressure and heart rates to unhealthy levels.
I know I feel extra stress at my job. If you've ever worked in fast food, then you exactly know what I mean. Your job is to get a food product that's fresh and hot into the hands of the customer within about 90 seconds, and it has to be made exactly to the customer's specifications. I dare anyone at home to produce a fresh, hot burger within those constraints.
The thing is, it's not really "fast food" anymore because every sandwich is made to order. Now it's called "quick serve". None are made ahead, as it was in the old days, yet customers expect (rightly so) that they will be enjoying the sandwich just as quickly as they always did. Now, if that doesn't stress you out enough, think of trying to train new people to operate the kitchen and register systems in the midst of still producing the product.
What do I do to combat this kind of fast-paced stress? I take time out, just a few seconds, to do some deep breathing. Five breaths, drawn in through the nose and exhaled through the mouth, helps me to refocus.
Occasionally a customer will have had a bad day, and if they don't get perfection in their burger, they are likely to swear at us, throw the food back at us, and behave in ways they'd never think of in a traditional restaurant setting. While I personally believe this kind of behavior is uncalled for, I still have to attempt to correct the mistake and make peace with the customer. Deep breathing really helps here. It makes me calmer, and even if the customer doesn't respond in kind, I can still wish them a pleasant day and invite them to return.
No matter what stresses you, the deep breathing really can help. Try it.
