Mar 16, 2013

How To Stress Less And Have More Fun

By Lachlan Haynes


Stress Is Everywhere

Stress abounds in the modern time-poor drama-filled world. Those that aren't feeling stressed are either lying to themselves or have managed to find a happy work/study/life balance that few people have the ability to create for themselves if they want to get good grades or pay their bills on time. So if you are feeling stressed - I say join the club!

What is really relevant here is how we respond to the feeling of stress. All of us can have feelings of impatience, irritation, annoyance and anger from time to time - but the way in which we react to those stimuli defines our ability to cope with stress.

High levels of stress can really obscure our judgement and result in us behaving in ways that we would not otherwise behave. Behaviors such as anger, aggression, frustration and edginess all result from high stress levels. This change in behavior almost always impacts on the people around us - whether that is school mates, other friends or family members. However it can also impact total strangers if we are stressed enough.

The major challenge with stress is preventing the behaviors it creates from becoming habits. Habits occur when we consistently engage in certain actions or behaviors over a certain amount of time. Therefore, if the feeling of "being stressed" becomes a regular feeling it may actually become the norm feeling. When that happens the individual spends their entire life feeling miserable but they aren't even aware it's because they have formed a detrimental habit.

Stress-induced habits and behaviors that have a negative impact must be replaced by positive action. High achievement does not result from an inability to cope with high stress levels; it results from calm and calculated responses to stressful stimulus.

The Problem: The Voice Inside Me Puts Me Down

We all have a voice inside us that dictates our thoughts and actions. When that voice is constantly being negative, judgmental and frightened (of embracing life) it leads to an unfulfilled life and a pessimistic outlook and approach to life.

The result of negative self-dialogue can be easy to see. Extreme reactions to what others may view as a small issue is caused by a self-dialogue that believes others are wishing them harm or out to get them, or simply one that has created the habit of a negative reaction to virtually all situations (regardless of whether they are viewed as good or bad by others). I'm sure we have all come into contact with people that constantly worry about everything and view everything in a negative light. It's not much fun is it?

However, when negative self-talk becomes a powerful force it has the ability to completely overrun the individual and can result in a lonely experience (because everyone has removed themselves from the negative person's presence). In order to address this, positive self-dialogue needs to become the new habit.

The Solution: The Voice Inside Me Builds Me Up!

When controlled and executed properly, positive self-dialogue can truly change your life. A constant state of positivism breeds positive experiences and connections with other positive people. The other major benefit of positive self-dialogue is that your outlook on your life will improve even if nothing about your life is actually different. However, the fact you feel better about yourself and your life means that you are far more open to the actions that are required to get you the results you want.

Keep in mind that a negative attitude breeds more negativity. So the opposite is also true. Improved relationships, improved health and improved grades are all results of simply changing your self-dialogue. Don't believe me? Try it! Use words such as "I can do this", "I will do this", "I can do anything I put my mind too", "Life has a way of working out for me", "Things always happen for a reason", "I am not discouraged". This requires no effort other than constantly being positive about yourself, your situation and everyone around you. Do this for at least one week and your outlook will have changed dramatically. Not only that, but those around you will appear to change as well. Why? Well you be treating them differently which will cause more of the same.

Only by understanding what is causing our stress can we take steps to address it. The reality is that many factors can create stress but understanding what is at the root is the most important step to resolving the internal conflict. The full article is available for you to read by following the links below. I wish you good luck.




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