Stress is a physical reaction that arises when there is no connection between what we are doing and our purpose in life, and thoughts that we have internalized as negative and that take away our power. Some of these thoughts are:
1. Victim thought
2. Inflexibility and resistance to change
3. Low self-esteem
There are a number of tools you can use to de-stress:
1. Reevaluate your life.
2. Focus in the midst of stress.
3. Observe yourself within the situation without judging yourself (witness.)
4. Learn to stay in the present moment and doing one thing at a time.
5. Don’t worry. Take care of what you can remedy. If the solution is not within your power, release it.
Stress manifests itself both physically, as well as emotionally, socially and mentally. Not all stress is bad. Many times it’s stress that motivates us to act to achieve our goals.
Stress becomes a problem when it paralyzes us or affects our lives in a harmful way. Out-of-control stress can lead us to become physically, mentally, and emotionally ill.
STRESS CHART
EXAMPLES YOUR EXAMPLES
| CAUSE | I argued with my partner | I didn’t turn in a job on time | | ||||
| PHYSICAL RESPONSE | Knot in my stomach | Nausea Blushing Knot in my stomach | |||||
| MY BEHAVIOR | I was hurtful | I defended myself |
EXAMPLES YOUR EXAMPLES
| HOW I FELT | Ashamed Angry | Ashamed Angry | ||||
| WHY I DIDN’T DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO | I felt cornered | Lack of planning Procrastination | ||||
| WHAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO DO | Dialogue without offending | I wanted the earth to swallow me. | ||||
| WAYS TO DEAL WITH STRESS | Count to 10. Breathe deeply. | Set priorities. Plan my time. |
Things that motivate us:
1. Start the day with an affirmation, or
2. Start the day by asking yourself empowering questions, such as, how can I make this a productive and wonderful day?
3. Program yourself for success. After waking up, take several minutes to see if you have a particular issue that you have to work with, you can make a special statement for it. (You can do this anywhere – the shower on the bus, in the car etc.)
In other words, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This way you will avoid many stressful moments in your life.