As we wrap up International Stress Awareness Week, you’ve likely come across plenty of advice on managing stress. While much of it is common sense—getting enough rest, exercising, setting boundaries—the challenge lies in actually implementing these strategies when stress hits.

Whether it’s work deadlines, financial worries, personal responsibilities, or unexpected challenges, stress can feel overwhelming. But what if you could handle it with more grace and ease?

Enter the ASAP – Anxiety & Stress Action Plan.

Why Stress Feels So Overwhelming

“You can’t stress to a solution.”

This phrase reminds us that stress does not lead to clear thinking. Instead, it triggers our sympathetic nervous system (SNS)—the part of the brain responsible for the fight or flight response.

Once activated, the SNS:

Floods the body with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Increases heart rate and muscle tension.
Shuts down logical thinking in favor of reactivity.

This is why we often say or do things we regret when under stress. Our brain isn’t operating from its calm, rational state—it’s in survival mode.

While techniques like deep breathing, yoga, and meditation can help calm the nervous system, they are often forgotten in the moment. That’s where an ASAP (Anxiety & Stress Action Plan) comes in—it helps you prepare in advance so you can respond to stress with clarity rather than panic.

The Power of Mental Preparation

Our brains crave predictability and operate based on patterns. When we repeatedly react to stress in the same way, our brain reinforces that response.

But here’s the good news: the mind doesn’t distinguish between real and imagined scenarios. This means that by mentally rehearsing how you will handle stressful situations, you can literally rewire your response to stress before it even happens.

A powerful example of this comes from the founder of Happinez Magazine in the Netherlands. Before launching her business, she feared financial ruin—losing her home, savings, and stability. To confront this fear, she imagined the worst-case scenario: she physically visited the lowest-income neighborhood where she might have to live if she lost everything. She sat in her car, observing her surroundings, and realized that even in the worst-case scenario, she would survive. This gave her the courage to move forward.

This is the essence of an ASAP—training your brain to recognize that no matter what happens, you have the capacity to handle it.

How to Create Your Anxiety & Stress Action Plan (ASAP)

An ASAP is a personalized plan designed to help you navigate stress effectively. It’s not about eliminating stress completely—that’s unrealistic—but about responding to it differently.

Here’s how to create your own:

1. Journal Your Stress & Anxiety

Ana Forrest, in her book Fierce Medicine, suggests we “hunt our fears like a photographer hunts an animal.” Instead of avoiding stress, get curious about it.

Take a few minutes to write down:

What is currently causing you stress?
What are your biggest fears or anxieties?
What patterns of stress repeat in your life?
How do you physically experience stress (e.g., headaches, tight shoulders, racing thoughts)?

Journaling helps disassociate from stress, allowing you to see it more objectively rather than feeling consumed by it.

2. Imagine Alternative Scenarios

Once you’ve identified your stressors, train your brain to explore different possibilities:

Best-case scenario: What if everything goes smoothly? How does that feel?
Compromise scenario: What if things don’t go perfectly, but you find a middle ground?
Worst-case scenario: What is the absolute worst thing that could happen? How would you handle it?

By visualizing these outcomes, your brain becomes familiar with them. If the stressful situation arises, your nervous system won’t panic—it will recognize that you already have a plan.

3. Meditate on Your Stress & Anxiety

Many of us either ignore stress or get trapped in it. Meditation allows us to process stress fully without getting stuck.

Try this simple practice:

Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths.
Imagine the stressful situation and allow any emotions to surface.
Observe these feelings without judgment.
Remind yourself that emotions are temporary—they will pass.
When ready, open your eyes and return to the present moment.

By allowing stress to move through you, rather than resisting it, you prevent it from getting stored in the body as tension or fatigue.

4. Practice EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

EFT, or tapping, is a method of gently tapping on acupressure points while acknowledging emotions. It helps rewire the brain’s response to stress.

To use EFT for stress, tap gently while saying:

“Even though I feel overwhelmed, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“I release the need to control everything.”
“I trust myself to handle whatever comes my way.”

Practicing EFT before stressful events trains your body to stay calm when stress arises.

5. Find Mantras That Help You Let Go

Words shape our reality. A simple mantra can shift your entire mindset in a moment of stress.

Here are a few to try:

“You can’t stress to a solution.” (Tony Robbins & Nick Ortner)
“Your suffering is not due to the situation. It’s your resistance to what’s happening that is causing you to feel suffering.” (Eckhart Tolle)
“I am safe. I am capable. I am in control of my response.”

Repeat a mantra that resonates with you whenever you feel stress rising.

How to Use Your ASAP in Daily Life

Once you’ve created your ASAP, it’s time to integrate it into your routine. Here’s how:

✅ Before a Stressful Event

Review your stress journal and anticipate potential challenges.
Visualize different scenarios so your brain feels prepared.
Meditate or tap on any lingering anxieties.

✅ During Stressful Moments

Pause and take a deep breath.
Recall your visualization—remind yourself that you’ve already planned for this.
Use your mantra or EFT tapping to reset your nervous system.

✅ After the Stress Passes

Reflect on what worked well.
Adjust your ASAP for future situations.
Acknowledge your progress in handling stress differently.

Final Thoughts

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. But how we respond to it is within our control.

By creating an Anxiety & Stress Action Plan (ASAP), you train your mind to navigate stress in a healthier way. Instead of reacting impulsively, you respond intentionally—bringing more clarity, calmness, and resilience into your life.

Your mind is your most powerful tool. When you prepare it in advance, you empower yourself to handle stress with confidence and ease.

What strategies do you use to manage stress? Let me know in the comments! 😊