One Tip
One Tip To Reduce Stress
STRESS
Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both positive and negative experiences. In 1966 Dr. Richard S. Lazarus defined stress something like: The condition or feeling experienced when you perceive that demands exceed your personal resources. Stress is a normal part of life.
When you feel stressed by something going on around you, your body reacts by releasing chemicals into the blood. The amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. This area of the brain functions like a command center, communicating with the rest of the body through the nervous system so that the person has the energy to "fight or flee". This is called the "stress response."
Let's try experiencing the "stress response" by just thinking of a stressful event. I bet you can imagine something in your mind some demand or stressor, right now that can trigger the "stress response." Perhaps, speaking in public, meeting with your boss, talking to your spouse about money etc. Try it! Think of a stressful event and pay attention to your physiological reaction. Most of us can do this without ever leavung our chair!
Stress looks like this:
Stress occurs when your perception of the Demands outweigh your Resources.
STRESS AFFECTS HEALTH
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Prolonged stress causes wear and tear on your body – both physical and emotional. Prolonged stress can lead to:
INCREASE RESOURCES - REDUCE DEMANDS
It is critical that you have sufficient resources to deal with the demands of your life. Simply stated, stress can be avoided by: Increasing resources or Reducing demands. Check out my blog "Five to Survive" or podcast "Five to Survive" to learn more about resources.
ONE TIP
Remember - stress is when you perceive that you do not have the resources to deal with the demands. The key word here is "perceive."
Let's talk about gardening. Gardening is a resource to me but likely a demand for you! Obviously, the garden activity in and of itself is the exact same behavior for each of us - plant the seeds, pull the weeds, water the plants, etc.
How can the exact same activity be a resource that reduces stress for one person ...
In other words, it's not the stressful event itself that makes the difference. What is most important, is how you perceive the stressful event.
If you perceive something as stressful, your brain releases hormones into the blood and you will experience the "stress response."
BALANCE THE SCALE
Here it is, the one tip that can eliminate experiencing the "stress response"when confronting any stressful event.
Change your perception about your ability to deal with the demand and/or change your perception about the way the demand will impact your life.
The fact that "stress" occurs because of a perception, means that you can do something about it. You can train yourself (or you can be trained by a professional, if necessary) to change your perception or how you believe about yourself and your life demands.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION
Changing your perception of a stressful event is ONE resource that always works in reducing stress! One common method of changing your perception of a stressful event is the use of affirmations.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
Positive affirmations are statements you say to yourself, that help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts:
Sample affirmations include: "This too shall pass;" "One day at at time;" "I can do anything I put my mind to;" "Let go and let God;" "Tomorrow is another day;" and "It is what it is." The best time to use affirmations for stress is AS SOON as as you realize that you are experiencing the symptoms.
Even if you don't believe the affirmation, pick a favorite affirmation and begin by repeating it several times a day.
My favorite affirmation:
Doc says: You can do hard things!
Check out the list of resources Affirmations For Stress Relief:
STRESS
Stress is your body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be caused by both positive and negative experiences. In 1966 Dr. Richard S. Lazarus defined stress something like: The condition or feeling experienced when you perceive that demands exceed your personal resources. Stress is a normal part of life.
When you feel stressed by something going on around you, your body reacts by releasing chemicals into the blood. The amygdala, an area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. This area of the brain functions like a command center, communicating with the rest of the body through the nervous system so that the person has the energy to "fight or flee". This is called the "stress response."
Let's try experiencing the "stress response" by just thinking of a stressful event. I bet you can imagine something in your mind some demand or stressor, right now that can trigger the "stress response." Perhaps, speaking in public, meeting with your boss, talking to your spouse about money etc. Try it! Think of a stressful event and pay attention to your physiological reaction. Most of us can do this without ever leavung our chair!
Stress looks like this:
Stress occurs when your perception of the Demands outweigh your Resources.
STRESS AFFECTS HEALTH
The human body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Prolonged stress causes wear and tear on your body – both physical and emotional. Prolonged stress can lead to:
- Physical symptoms such as headaches, an upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, sexual dysfunction, and problems sleeping.
- Emotional problems such as depression, panic attacks, or other forms of anxiety and
- Worsening of certain symptoms or diseases.
INCREASE RESOURCES - REDUCE DEMANDS
It is critical that you have sufficient resources to deal with the demands of your life. Simply stated, stress can be avoided by: Increasing resources or Reducing demands. Check out my blog "Five to Survive" or podcast "Five to Survive" to learn more about resources.
ONE TIP
Remember - stress is when you perceive that you do not have the resources to deal with the demands. The key word here is "perceive."
Let's talk about gardening. Gardening is a resource to me but likely a demand for you! Obviously, the garden activity in and of itself is the exact same behavior for each of us - plant the seeds, pull the weeds, water the plants, etc.
How can the exact same activity be a resource that reduces stress for one person ...
and a demand that increases stress for another?
It's perception!
Personal resources can always be increased by strengthening your perception of yourself.
The demands can always be reduced by changing your perception of the demand and its impact on you.
The demands can always be reduced by changing your perception of the demand and its impact on you.
If you perceive something as stressful, your brain releases hormones into the blood and you will experience the "stress response."
Here it is, the one tip that can eliminate experiencing the "stress response"when confronting any stressful event.
Change your perception about your ability to deal with the demand and/or change your perception about the way the demand will impact your life.
The fact that "stress" occurs because of a perception, means that you can do something about it. You can train yourself (or you can be trained by a professional, if necessary) to change your perception or how you believe about yourself and your life demands.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION
Changing your perception of a stressful event is ONE resource that always works in reducing stress! One common method of changing your perception of a stressful event is the use of affirmations.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
Positive affirmations are statements you say to yourself, that help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts:
- about yourself and your abilities
- and about the possible impact of a stressful event.
Sample affirmations include: "This too shall pass;" "One day at at time;" "I can do anything I put my mind to;" "Let go and let God;" "Tomorrow is another day;" and "It is what it is." The best time to use affirmations for stress is AS SOON as as you realize that you are experiencing the symptoms.
Even if you don't believe the affirmation, pick a favorite affirmation and begin by repeating it several times a day.
My favorite affirmation:
Doc says: You can do hard things!
Check out the list of resources Affirmations For Stress Relief:
- Positive Affirmations: 10 De-Stressing Phrases That Help Put Life Into Perspective
- Free Affirmations
- Use These Positive Affirmations for Anxiety Relief
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