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Making Choices for Effective Stress Management
By Robin Ross
One definition of stress is, “the non-specific response to perceived demands.” In short, the situation that stresses you out is not what matters, but the way we choose to deal or react to it.
Two-years ago I attended an interactive workshop on managing stress. I found the following information very valuable and would like to share it with you.
Stress is energy. When faced with a stressful situation we have two choices:
- To be a stress carrier. This will lead to distress.
- To be a stress manager. This will lead to a sense of well-being and optimal performance.
We all have stress in our lives. The top five potential sources of stress can be:
- Major life events such as a wedding, birth or empty nest syndrome.
- Unexpected events, such as a death, or loss of a job.
- Progressive, accumulating events such as a divorce or illness.
- Personal traits.
- Your environment.
In order to manage stress in a positive manner you need “stress hardiness.”
Stress hardiness is based on five factors:
- Control what you can, and do not stress about things that are beyond your control.
- Be clear about your commitments.
- Have positive contacts. Build positive relationships and strong networks of support.
- Be vigilant about faulty assumptions/cognitive traps. Avoid all or nothing thinking. Do not discount the positives. Do not jump to conclusions. Do not over-generalize.
- Pursue a healthy lifestyle.
We all incorporate coping mechanisms into our daily routines. Things like exercising, reading, taking a soothing bath, or venting to friends or peers are great ways to relieve stress.
Sometimes we just need to be reminded to use these coping mechanisms. Family, friends, professional help, coaches and mentors can all help you manage stress.
In conclusion, you need to:
- Recognize stress symptoms as signals.
- Get help with the symptoms.
- Pinpoint sources of stress.
- Get to the root - perception.
- Adopt stress hardy thinking patterns.
