on everything from diet and exercise
to negotiation and time management,
have shown that deciding in advance
when and where you will complete a
task (e.g., "If it is 4pm, then I will
return any phone calls I should return
today") can double or triple your
chances of actually doing it.
So take the tasks on your to-do list,
and add a specific when and where
to each. For example, "Remember to
call Bob" becomes "If it is Tuesday
after lunch, then I'll call Bob." Now
that you've created an if-then plan for
calling Bob, your unconscious brain
will start scanning the environment,
searching for the situation in the "if"
part of your plan. This enables you to
seize the critical moment and make
the call, even when you are busy
doing other things. And what better
way is there to cut down on your
I will keep a cool head."
stress than crossing things off your todo list?
Use If-Thens for Positive Self-Talk
Another way to combat stress using
if-then plans is to direct them at the
experience of stress itself, rather than
at its causes. Recent studies show that
if-then plans can help us to control
our emotional responses to situations
in which we feel fear, sadness,
fatigue, self-doubt, or even disgust.
Simply decide what kind of
response you would like to
have instead of feeling stress, and
make a plan that links your desired
response to the situations that tend to
raise your blood pressure. For
instance, "If I see lots of emails in my
inbox, then I will stay calm and
relaxed," or, "If a deadline is
approaching, then