Stress is something that we all deal with one way or another in life. It impacts some much more than others, but we always have times in our lives when we deal with it. Some of us experience quick moments of stress while others can be crippled by it.
Regardless of how you are affected by it there will always a reason to be encouraged.
Reasons to be encouraged
Stress is rarely permanent – In the moment, this may not help. The great stressors that we face can overwhelming and unbearable. But, tt won’t always feel that way. How you feel now is probably not how you will feel tomorrow. You will learn to deal with it. You will learn to accept it. You will learn to fix it. The anxiety you feel now is not permanent.
You aren’t alone – It may feel like it’s just you against the world, but it’s not. There is someone in your corner. Someone who has gone through what you are going through. Or, someone who hasn’t, but will remain by your side while you get through it together. Don’t allow yourself to face this alone.
You have an opportunity to grow – Stress is usually brought on by something that happens to us or because of us. If something is causing you this much anguish it has to be something that matters to you. This is an opportunity to learn from what happened so you can avoid it or handle it better next time.
Tips to change how you view your stress
Keep things in perspective – One of the most powerful tools we have is our ability to control our perspective. People that tend to experience more stress often focus on negative outcomes and fear the worst case scenario. Often times we have no basis for this thought process. You can reduce a lot of stress by simply changing the way you view it. Remind yourself, This is stressful, but I will figure it out. I always have.
Focus on the positive things in your life – Be consumed by the good things in your life. Let those be what you focus on. We could have 100 people tell us how great we are and if one person says one bad thing about us, that is all we think about. Life is too short to let one negative experience outweigh the countless positive ones.
Trust that you know how to handle the situation – You can handle this and you will get through it. You always have the opportunity to make the most out of your situation. You can’t always control what happens, but we can ALWAYS control how you respond.
Tips to change how you handle stress
Take a step back – Negative events tend to take over our thoughts regardless of how big they are. You could be driving home from a great day at Disneyland and someone cuts you off on the road – suddenly your day is ruined. You are stuck thinking about the person who cut you off and not the great day you had with your family. You also neglect to care that you were still able to make it home safely.
When you get derailed by a challenge, take a step back. Remember that this one thing doesn’t negate all of the good in your life.
Learn to let go – Stress can overrun us when we are holding on too tight. We hold onto the things that weigh us down and ignore the things that lift us up. Often times the things that have little importance in our lives that stress us out the most. The more we are consumed by our fears the more we lose touch of reality. Learn to let go of the things that cause you constant stress.
Stress can be a tool – We alway associate stress with negativity. We need to start viewing stress as a tool. Stress is a light that points out the areas in our life that need attention. That is all it should be. Once you know what is wrong you can take the steps to fix it. Dwelling on the struggle is what feeds stress. Use the stress as a guidepost to get better – a pivot point to what matters most.
Actions
Make a list of the things you can think of that have stressed you out. How many of them were worth the stress you gave them? What are the chances what you are worried about then is as bad as you thought it would be?
Keep a daily list of the things you are grateful for. Continue to focus on and appreciate those things. Make this list more substantial than the list of your stressors.
Question
Are you going to let the stress control you and bring you down or fuel you to lift you up? This is the most important decision you can make.