| |
| |
|
Stress Management Information |
|
|
|
Stress Management: Are You a Diamond or a Lump of Coal?
"Do you want to be a lump of coal or do you want to be a diamond?" That's the first question I ask to begin my stress management seminar called "A Diamond is Nothing More Than a Lump of Coal That Handled Stress Very Well." We seem to have some interesting misconceptions about the stress in our lives. The most common is that stress is something to be avoided at all costs, and true happiness comes from being totally stress free. That's just not true in the real world. If you don't believe me, check out the results of a study conducted into the effects of stress on performance. In the study, subjects were instructed to watch trains pass at a crossing and to write down a five digit number on the side of the train. At first the trains came by slowly, then continued to speed up until the numbers were just a blur going by. The researchers then counted the number of errors in copying down the numbers on the train. Here's the results - when the trains were going very fast, there were many errors, as might be expected. The interesting thing is that there were just as many errors when the trains were going by slowly. The best scores were when the trains were going by at a moderately rapid rate. One of the lessons for us in this study is that a certain amount of stress, managed properly, not only does not harm us, it's necessary for optimum performance. Back to the question with which I started this column - "Do you want to be a lump of coal or a diamond?" There are questions, beliefs and actions that go along with being a lump of coal, and there are questions, beliefs and actions that go along with being a diamond. Let's take a closer look at each of these categories. Lump of Coal Questions and Beliefs Why does this always happen to me? A good victim question that takes away all your power to do anything about the situation. This shouldn't be happening, it's not fair! Another victim belief. Same result - no power or strength fo change. If it's stressful, I shouldn't do it. Then you may not do much, because stress is an indication that you are still alive. Lump of Coal Actions Giving up. The worst thing we can do when dealing with stress. An old quote helps us understand why we do this - "when you're up to our posterior in alligators, it's difficult to remember your original intention was to drain the swamp!" Taking it out on others. Stress seems to roll down hill onto the other people around us. Becoming "stressed out". Becoming stressed out freezes our creativity and sense of humor, and leaves us stuck. Diamond Questions and Beliefs How can I make this work for me? Another old quote applies here - "when life hands you lemons, the only winning choice is to make lemonade." While that my sound too nice and easy, think about it for a moment. Simply asking the question "how can I make this work for me?" opens up our mind to the possibilities and creative choices available to us. I can handle it. When it comes to handling stress like a diamond, this "the phrase of champions." An even better phrase is "in how many ways can I handle it and enjoy the process." Diamond Actions Living a life of fulfillment and purpose. Managing stress well allows you to live a life well lived. Confronting stress head on. Seeing stress as a challenge allows us to be proactive and creative in designing a "diamond life." Making stress work for you. The number one way to make stress work for you is to take action. Taking action allows you to sharpen your skills and become a diamond. Now, just to be clear - am I saying that stress is always good for you? Of course not. There are certain types of stress as well as certain times in our lives when the healthiest thing to do is remove ourselves from the source of stress. Am I saying that there are ways to handle the stress in our lives that can make it work for us, that allow us to thrive instead of just survive? You bet I am! A lump of coal or a diamond. Which will it be for you? Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.
MORE RESOURCES:
Stress-Management - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Stress Management and Creating Balance The World Health Organization calls stress "the health epidemic of the 21st century." Stress resulting in illness is the causative factor underlying more than 70% of all visits to the family doctor, medical doctors suggest. Stress Management and Mastery: Breakdown or Breakthrough? Q: "My career, though very very stressful, is one that I thoroughly enjoy and do not want to change. Because I'm under so much stress, my counselor has recommended that I eliminate all stress from my life. Stress Managment and Mastery: Break the Rules! Of all the sources of stress in our lives, faulty emotional rules are one of the most debilitating. These faulty emotional rules are typically ingrained during childhood and become a part of how we live. Are YOU Controlling Stress So Stress Does Not Control YOU? Have you recently moved or started a new job? Do you feel you have too much to do and not enough time to do them? Do you worry about your financial situation? Do you worry about your future? Do you feel your efforts at work or at home go unappreciated?If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you are experiencing stress but you're not alone.Two surveys indicate that worker anxiety is rapidly rising. Practical Ways to Bring Enchantment into Your Life THE ENCHANTED SELF® teaches you how to access positive states of well being again and again. These positive states are unique to you and often reflect your interests, talents, and potential. Stress Relief Through Charity One of the best ways to relieve yourself from the stresses in life is by giving to others. When you help others it takes the focus off of you and your problems and shifts the focus to the needs of others. Chastise Your Bread - Kneading Dough is Excellent Stress Therapy The day wasn't going well already. You know how it is, you wake up in the morning with that migraine or the pounding headache in the back of your head. Stress Management: Declare Your Freedom To........................ 1) Create the life you desireTwo of our most underdeveloped muscles are our choice muscles and decision muscles. Begin to exercise these muscles by making decisions and choices that serve to create the life you desire. Stress Management The fast pace of life is taking toll on every city dweller, right from students to home makers and workers to managers, every body is hit by the bug of the stress. Modern technological development and communication aids are adding to the stress because of their high speed. Taming September: Avoiding Fall Frenzy When September rolls around, does it generally hit you like a ton of bricks? Do you feel as if that invisible being in charge of your life has suddenly ratcheted up the speed on your treadmill? WAY up?This year, take on September with some new tools and expectations. See if you can stand up to it more strongly than you have in the past. Managing Stress From Another World Modern stress is habitual, and is something that the vast majority of Americans and Britons succumb to in their material driven lives. Whether mildly or overwhelmingly, stress will cast its powers across most of us at some stage in our lives, often increasingly as we get sucked into a pattern of working and living that gradually strips us of our individuality. The Physiology of Stress In the body, the stress response is mediated by the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis, or the HPA-axis for short.When the body perceives stress, the HPA axis, along with the sympathetic nervous system, famous for its "fight of flight" response, are activated together. Empathy - Anxiety & Panic If you are an anxiety and panic sufferer, then you've probably taken a fast learning track of how many people around you actually suffer from this one skill "empathy".How many times have you told yourself or maybe even to others "you don't understand" or "they don't understand what I'm going through". Dialing M For Mindfulness Looking for mindfulness? Who ya gonna call?Try dialing M.It's easy to be mindful. Stress Management:: 4 Critical Distinctions Stress Vs PressureStress is something we all have, it's not going away, it's a sign we are alive. The question is in how you handle it. Balancing Acts: Keeping Work and Life in Equilibrium In the fast-paced world that we live in today, it seems as though it's hard to find enough time to do everything that needs to be done. Days at work are long, but too often don't seem to be long enough? we bring home what we can't finish and end up creating highly stressful situations for those around us. Squeeze To Relax! This heading may seem like a contradiction in terms. How on earth is squeezing anything going to allow for relaxation to occur? Surely it will generate more tension, won't it?Well, not necessarily. Stress Management: Problem Land or Solution Land In my experience, most of us spend a lot more time living in problem land, griping and complaining, than we do in solution land, working hard and enjoying solving problems.It's almost become a national past time. Top 10 Tips on Managing Conflict, Emotional Tension, and Anger To be a safe and predictable person for those around you at work and at home, it is essential that you are able to maintain your composure when you feel like your 'buttons' are being pushed. This strength will help you to achieve your goals in business as well as your goals for your personal relationships. Training Your Mind For Better Business and Leisure Training Your Mind For Better Business and LeisureModern life moves at a very fast pace. At least, that is how many in Western society describe their existence whereby they rush to work, rush everything they do at work, and do so in a fixed routine which allows for little deviation.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
