Generally, we think that stress is a situation. We have a fight in a relationship, our car breaks down, or we get laid off from work. This is a common myth. Although, this is not to reduce the actual situation to nothing because we know that it can trigger stress but stress is not our circumstances.
So, if stress is not our circumstances what is stress? Well, a common equation that is used to describe stress is A+B=C. A is the activating event (situation), B is our belief, and C is our consequences (signs and symptoms). For example, if you are laid off from your job (Activating Event) and you believe that this is the worse thing that could ever happen to you (Belief) then your Consequences will be doubt, fear, and worry. Or, if you are laid off from your job (Activating Event) and you believe this is the best thing that could ever happen to you (Belief) then your Consequences will be certainty, confidence, and hope.
Therefore, stress is our reaction or our belief, which creates our consequences. Our consequences are our signs and symptoms mentally that are manifested physically. Some signs and symptoms of stress are difficulty concentrating, a racing mind, disorganization, sadness, irritability, anger, moodiness, headaches, neck aches, backaches, gastrointestinal problems, over or under eating, over or under sleeping, or increase in addiction of alcohol, smoking, or drugs.
Basic stress is in our everyday life because it begins with our thoughts. We get up in the morning worrying about all the things we have to do today and all the things that bothered us from yesterday. We go to work, we go to class, we go to being a parent, we go to being the provider, and we go to doing our life. Our day is filled with stress because it is filled with our beliefs of doubt, fear, and worry.
If we destress ourselves at the foundation of our thoughts our feelings and actions will follow. How do we destress ourselves beginning with our thoughts? We recognize our doubt, fear, and worry and learn how to change it into certainty, confidence, and hope. When you change your thoughts into certainty, confidence, and hope you will feel faith and then you will make decisions based on that. You have a choice, you can think thoughts of doubt, fear, and worry or you can think thoughts of certainty, confidence, and hope. Sounds simple, but it is not easy.
Thinking the worse thing could happen is just a habit that we develop but if we start thinking that everything is going to be okay, because it always is, then we start to create a habit of faith. Recognize your stressful thoughts and change them to the opposite and watch yourself become an expert at stress management.
Elizabeth Stanfill, Managing Director of Destress Yourself, is an authority and expert in Critical Incident Stress Management, General Stress Management, and Overcoming Burnout. She specializes in teaching individuals to discover the stressful habits that are holding them back in life and changing these habits into successful practices that create explosive jumps in personal and professional performance. For more free information about Destressing Yourself please sign up for our free Destress Yourself Newsletter and receive free admission to our monthly Destress Yourself teleclass, http://www.destressyourself.com, or visit our stress relief blog, http://stressreliefblog.muxgo.com/
boy, did i need to read this today. i have Crohn's, and my divorce trial is monday. i have the headache, neck ache, and intestinal pain. i will do as i read, and hope i can do it well. thanks for sharing, and i hope you continue writing,
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
