Life Just Threw You a Punch—Here’s How to Hit Back

I got an interesting question from a reader the other day. She asked:

"What do I do when I’m blindsided by stress? I wasn’t expecting to lose my job, and now I’m in full panic mode. It’s not like time stress where I can plan ahead like what you said yesterday —how do I handle this kind of stress when it feels like everything’s spinning out of control?"

Great question.

What she’s describing is situational stress—the kind that hits out of nowhere and makes you feel like you’ve lost all control.

Look, situational stress is a different beast.

Unlike time stress (which we covered yesterday), this stuff catches you off guard. You can’t pencil it in on your calendar. It’s the unexpected punch—the sudden layoff, a family emergency, or a fight that escalates out of nowhere.

But here’s the deal: just because you didn’t see it coming doesn’t mean you can’t handle it.

How to Stay Cool When Life Feels Like a Dumpster Fire

Here’s what I told her—and now I’m telling you:

Recognize Your Body’s SOS Signals Your body will tell you when stress is creeping in.

Maybe your heart starts pounding, your breathing gets shallow, or like me, your shoulders feel like they’re carrying a ton of bricks.

That’s my instant red flag that I need to pump the brakes. Recognize these signals early so you can step in before things go off the rails.

Ground Yourself—Don’t Spiral When stress blindsides you, you need to ground yourself fast.

My go-to?

Standing in an open field or staring at the ocean—just zoning out until I feel human again.

It’s my personal “reset button.”

You can also do simpler stuff—name objects in the room, focus on the colors around you. Anything that pulls you out of the stress spiral and anchors you in the present.

Master Conflict Resolution Situational stress often means dealing with conflict.

Whether it’s a heated argument or an unexpected problem with someone, knowing how to defuse the situation is pure gold. Learn to communicate without escalating things.

It’s not just about staying calm—it’s about staying in control.

Remember Time Stress?

I told her this too—if you’re managing your time stress (like we talked about yesterday), you create more space in your life for these curveballs. You won’t be running on empty when something hits, and you’ll have the mental energy to handle it like a pro.

Ready to Take Control?

Situational stress is always gonna show up when you least expect it.

The trick?

Have a game plan.

That’s exactly what I’m teaching in my workshop “Reclaim Your Calm Without Adding to Your To-Do List” on November 2nd. I’ll show you how to handle both situational and time stress (and two more)—so you can stay cool, even when life’s throwing punches.

You can join me here.

Warmly,

Vanja

P.S. Grab the free Stress Management Emergency Plan Guide right now. It’s your first step to reclaiming control over your stress. Then, meet me in the workshop and let’s break it down for real.