Steps to help you overcome your extreme stress Life periods!
We've experienced stress, and we still experience it, but
too many of us are content to live with it, and, eventually, fall victims to
its ugly consequences. Not all stress is bad, of course: It can keep us
striving to reach new goals and make our lives exciting. But when your emotions
and health are compromised, it's time to stop and look for a solution.
These step-by-step directions for helping you get rid of
unnecessary sources of anxiety, and developing a healthier relationship with
those you can't avoid.
1. Set
Your Timeline
First, learn to identify areas of your life that need extra
attention. Your sources of stress may be clear to you already or they may take
a few weeks to surface while you observe your daily patterns.
2. Think
About Your Health
Ask yourself: What health-related effects of stress have you
already noticed in your life?
If you haven't considered (or you've chosen to ignore) the
harmful effects that stress can have on your mind and body, you're overlooking
a major threat to your well-being.
Taking a long, hard look at the potential consequences of
unrelenting, unaddressed anxiety can help us realize that we need to make a
change, before it's too late.
3. Write
in a Journal
The most efficient way to overcome is to start a journal.
Commit to writing down, at least once a day for at least 10 minutes, everything
that evoked a negative or stressful reaction, the place and time of day, the
source of the stress, and your reaction. You can do this either throughout the
day or before bed at night.
Also take a few minutes to write down the positive points in
your day: When did you feel the most relaxed, the most joyous, and the most fulfilled?
Keep these thoughts with you as you put your journal away.
4. Know
what Stresses You The Most
We can't tell you what your individual sources of stress are
but we can guess that at least some of them fall into a larger category of
universal problems: money, relationships, work-life balance, health (yours and
your loved ones'), and time-management issues.
5. Pick
Your Worry Profile
Worrying does little to make our lives better. At best, it's
counterproductive; at worst, it inhibits our thoughts, drains our energy, and
even makes us sick. "Think of it as a negative thought loop,"
explains psychotherapist Stephen Cope, author of "The Wisdom of Yoga: A
Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living." Since it never closes on a
satisfying answer, worry only begets more worrying.
The driving factor behind worry is fear, but fear of what?
That depends on your worry profile.
6. Learn
to Be Imperfect
Can't sleep when there's laundry to be folded? Can't enjoy a
good book when you have bills to pay? Does the thought of making a mistake give
you heart palpitations? Welcome to the club.
Here's the thing, though: While the right dose of perfection
can boost your satisfaction, too much can be paralyzing. There's a difference,
after all, between holding yourself to a high standard and holding yourself to
an unattainable one!
7. Reflect
and Push Onward
Now is the time to stop and re-examine what you've learned
so far: Have you identified the things that stress you? The things you tend to
worry about? The areas in your life where you're trying a bit too hard to be
perfect? Have you spent at least a few days journaling about your recent ups
and downs, and have you recognized the patterns and problems that need fixing?
Once you've come to grips with your most pressing stress
issues (congrats -- that's half the battle!), Now start saying goodbye to those
things that keep you stressed!
Inspired by: http://www.wholeliving.com
series of articles about stress relief.
