As many of you know stress does not discriminate. I bet as far back as you can remember you have been experiencing some form of stress. You may have or currently are stressing over school, friendships, relationships, family, careers, health and so on. You name it you can stress about it. Stress can wreak havoc on many areas of your life. From added stress, you may begin seeing your health deteriorate, depression, anxiety, relationship problems, etc. This snowball effect can spiral so far out of control that you do not even know where to begin picking up the pieces.
I am here to share a few tips to help you deal with the day to day stress that can cause more disaster in your life than you realize. I am not telling you that you will be able to remove stress from your life completely. I am sorry! I wish I had the magic potion to do so, but if you did not have these lessons in life you would walk around on autopilot as if you lived in Pleasantville. What I am telling you is, that by following these tips you will be able to not only limit the stress in your life, but you will also be able to handle it. Ultimately resulting in a more calm and happy demeanor when stress presents itself.
The first tip I would like to share with you is recognizing if the stress you are experiencing is even yours. Many times you tend to add stress on your plate that is not yours. You want to help others more than they want to help themselves. Here is where you begin to take on their issues and worries adding more unnecessary stress to you. If you are taking on others stress you need to realize that it is out of your control. The only thing in life you can change is yourself. You can offer advice, love, support, and guidance but if it is not taken you have to continue on your way. If this stress is added by you, then you have to ask yourself, what can I do to remove this? What can I change? When stress is added by either your schedule, people you surround yourself with, a relationship, and so on you have the power to change it. You are never stuck unless you CHOSE to stay. Remember you hold the power to change any situation in your life. I love to say, “If it does not add to you it is taking away from you, so let it go.”
The next tip is to begin changing your perception and perspective of all situations. Every situation, conversation, and action has another side to it. It is all how you perceive and react to how it will affect you. If you are constantly looking at things with the glass half full then the glass will be half full. If you begin to open your heart and look at every situation with love, as God does, you will see the good in all. By seeing things from a different perspective you can prevent feeling negative emotions that bring on thoughts and scenarios that add more stress to you. I am not telling you to pretend that “bad” things do not happen. I am asking you to see the good that can come of them. You know the saying, “God does not give you things that you can’t handle.” Well, it is true. If you begin to see that things begin to make you uncomfortable then it may be time for a change. God makes you uncomfortable for you to grow. If you chose to stay in the funk, then you may be presented with a similar situation giving you another chance to make the change. This is where many people get the “why does this always happen to me?” mentality. You see God wants what is best for you, but you have to make that decision. You must learn the lesson. You must make the change.
The final tip is to be aware of your thoughts. You may be asking yourself, “how do I do this?” Well, your thoughts are created by you. You are able to use your imagination and create scenarios that may or may not have occurred. Once you acknowledge these thoughts you are able to determine if they are real or if they are something you created. If the thoughts you have created did not happen in time, you may feel they are real because you have attached an emotion to them. These emotions you attach may make them feel real because you have felt these emotions before. You have felt loss, pain, fear, anxiety, depression, worry. Remember you are in control of creating your reality. I love to look at my thoughts as if they are scrolling across a billboard and I get to chose the ones I want to keep. As quickly as you create your thoughts, you can destroy them. By creating thoughts of worry, anxiety, fear, etc. you are adding increased stress to your life and possibly those around you. Chose the thoughts that will add love and happiness to your life.
By following these tips on a daily basis I know you can reduce your stress level as I personally have done so. Again, I am not promising you stress will never appear but you will be more equipped to handle it when it does. Your life is yours to live. You get to paint the beautiful picture you would like to see each and every day you open your eyes and lift your head off of your pillow. Be grateful for the gifts in your life and begin to share your love with those around you. By beginning to let go of the stress that is not yours, changing your perspective and perception, and recognizing your thoughts you can reduce the stress in your life and begin living a more calm and happier lifestyle. If you are ready to begin learning how to reduce your stress further visit my website and sign up for your free discovery call [email protected]