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Blow Away Your Stress

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The Age of Anxiety

frog holding books & anxiety

Anxiety …

Smart phones, tablets, the internet, social networks, etc., – we’re always

on the go and always reachable.

We don’t make time to relax and enjoy life anymore.

Why not? We should!

People hear more and more these days “I’m so stressed out!”

 

 

Everybody feels more and more pressure … you need to:

  • have a well-paying job,
  • have a nice house,
  • get your kids enrolled in sports/music/art … wherever their interests lie,
  • go on vacation,
  • have at least 2 cars … the list keeps growing!

Pressures affect everybody! They cause stress and anxiety that can make you sick. I mean that literally!

[Read more…] about The Age of Anxiety

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You Can’t Always Change a Situation

Situation

Although you can’t always change the situation, you can change how you think about it.

Let’s consider some different types of stressors and how best to approach managing them. For each type, think about the degree to which you might be better off working to change the situation itself, versus changing the way you think about the situation.

Work- and School- Related Stressors

Do you spend more time at work (or school) than at home? Many people do. And for most of us, these are very important parts of our lives. So, it’s not surprising that they can be major sources of stress. It turns out that you might be able to change (or at least try to change) some work or school stressors. If, for example, you have flexible supervisors or teachers, it might be possible to get extra help, a break on a work project, or deadline extensions for turning work in. But if your supervisor or teacher is less flexible, you might not catch such breaks even if you ask. If you’re having problems with budgeting your time, you can learn time management skills. If studying for exams stresses you out, you could attend a study skills session or find a tutor. Are you stressed about disagreements, office politics, peer pressure, or other interpersonal issues with supervisors, coworkers, peers, or teachers? [Read more…] about You Can’t Always Change a Situation

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What does Stress Cost You?

cost

What are the advantages and disadvantages of stress for you? Fill in the worksheet below with your lists.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Stress

Advantages of stress for me

Disadvantages of stress for me
   
   
   
   
   

If your list of advantages is longer than your list of disadvantages, it might appear that stress isn’t that big a deal for you. If it is the other way around, you have work to do regarding your stress.

What Are Your Feelings about Working on Stress?

There are a number of reasons for and against working on stress. What about you?

Use the worksheet titled “My Feelings about Working on Stress” (next page) to find out. On the left side of the worksheet, write down your reasons for working on stress. Then, on the right side, list your reasons for not doing so. [Read more…] about What does Stress Cost You?

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What Can You Do about the Stress in Your Life?

life

Having Mixed Feelings is Normal

If you’re like most people, you probably have misgivings about managing your stress, especially if you’ve tested the waters before and always backed off. Sure, it would be nice to reduce your stress level. But what will you have to give up? Will reducing your stress mean settling for something less than perfection in reaching your goals? Many people feel like they need high stress in their life – like they thrive on it. And even if you don’t feel that way, if you feel overwhelmed, will stress management efforts be just one more obligation? These kinds of mixed feelings about working on stress are normal.

You view your stress as a problem, but at the same time feel you might not achieve as much without it. You’re fed up with how stress is ruining your life, yet also believe that it’s beyond your control. You realize you’ve got to do something about stress, but where will you find the time? It’s like you’re “on the fence.” Deciding to make changes is really tough when you’re inconsistent, because you have no way of ensuring that the trade-offs will be acceptable to you. This is why it’s so important to examine the pros and cons of change before you begin. When you examine your inconsistency, you’ll have a better idea of what’s holding you back or might stand in your way of success. [Read more…] about What Can You Do about the Stress in Your Life?

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What’s Stressing You Out?

Out

I know, I know – we’ve talked about this already, right? Let’s dig deeper!

At first, this might seem straightforward – but it’s not that simple. That’s because stress actually comes from three types of sources: (1) events and situations (including those that involve other people), (2) thoughts (your ideas, perceptions, and beliefs), and (3) negative emotions (such as anxiety, anger, and depression). And to complicate things further, these sources of stress are linked together. So, to manage stress effectively, you’ll need to understand your own situational triggers, stress-provoking thinking patterns, and stress-inducing emotional states.

Situations, Thoughts, and Feelings: How are they related?

You’ve read in earlier posts that everyone experiences stressful situations uniquely. It’s definitely an individual reaction. Even though anyone would be stressed out by an unexpected job loss, or lose sleep  at night worrying about a child whose grades have plummeted, right? Of course these situations would stress an individual. Everyone experiences most situations and events differently. As a matter of fact, two people can be in the same negative circumstance, but their individual stress levels may be completely different. [Read more…] about What’s Stressing You Out?

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Stressful Events

Events

In addition to “big-ticket” life events, stress can be triggered by less severe daily hassles – traffic, a crying baby, waiting in line, bad weather, and other aggravations. And research shows that the stress of dealing with these hassles one after another, day after day, actually causes the most stress-related health problems.

If you’re stressed out by life events or hassles, an obvious way to reduce your stress is to change the situation or avoid it altogether. Having trouble with office politics? Just stay out of it. Does the cold or rainy weather where you live stress you out? Move to a warmer, drier climate. Don’t like flying in airplanes? Drive or keep travel to a minimum. To a certain extent, stress management is about problem solving and developing a plan for changing the situations and circumstances that trigger stress. [Read more…] about Stressful Events

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