Destressing The Stress

I want to say this up front and be emphatically clear. Stress
is a self-induced state of mind and not brought on by external
forces.

Most of us believe that stress is created by negative outside
stimuli, when in fact just the opposite is true. Stress is
brought on by how we think about the forces we perceive to be
acting upon our lives.

For example, if you are thinking "I'll never get this report finished
in time for the deadline," "This job demands an ungodly amount
of my time...", it becomes easy to believe that if we can just
complete our "to-do" list then the stress will be eliminated. Not
true. Stress will always return as soon as the "to-do" list gets full
because of the way we think about what we have "to-do."

Stress is always generated by our thinking and not by external
circumstances. It is actually a state of mind that we control. In
order to de-stress one must learn to think differently. You see,
as stressful thoughts escalate then the entire stressful cycle
escalates also.

As stressful thoughts are allowed to linger in our minds our
moods are affected. It stands to reason, then, if we learn to
change our thinking we can change our moods.

How do we do this? First we need to understand the cycle of
stress. If we think angry thoughts we are going to feel anger. If
we think sad thoughts we feel sad. Emotional states of mind will
always follow our thought patterns.

Learn to pay careful attention to how you are feeling thoughout
the day by pausing at differing intervals to see what you are
thinking.

Then learn to shift your thinking by countering stressful thinking
with positive thinking. Focus on one problem at a time util it is
resolved. If you shift your thinking your mood will follow.

Unfortunately, most of us believe that if we work harder or faster
we will get more done. What we need to do is learn to work
smarter.

Finally, take a "mini vacation" twice a day. Take 5 minutes at
mid-morning and mid-afternoon and intensely focus on one of
your most pleasant memories. See this memory in vivid detail.
Imagine yourself being there and truly re-live the pleasure. You'll
be surprised at how refreshing the experience will be.

Stress is a state of mind that is self-induced...a learned behavior
brought on by negative thinking. Therefore it can be unlearned
by practicing positive thinking and staying focused.