Adapt To The Stress
Posted on August 01, 2013 by Markus Wilcox, One of Thousands of Christian Coaches on Noomii.
If it exists, it exists, and no amount of fuming about how late you are is going to change that fact.
Again, more on the things that we cannot change when it comes to stress. There are certain situations that we can’t change or compromise with that cause stress – a good example is a traffic jam. No matter how well you can express your displeasure or how much you can control regarding other areas of your life, it’s hard to control a traffic jam. If it exists, it exists, and no amount of fuming about how late you are is going to change that fact.
In this sort of situation, the best approach to take is adaptation. There are certain things that you can’t work around or negotiate with – like a traffic jam – therefore the best option to take is one of accepting the situation and controlling your own personal reaction to it. The next time that you are in a situation where you feel you have no control, try to find control by changing your own attitude and expectations toward the situation at hand.
Look at the bigger picture. Many people really do miss the forest for the trees. If you are in an unchangeable situation that is seriously stressing you out, try stepping back and putting it in a broader perspective. Will this situation matter so much over the course of the next few days? Months? Years? In the case of the aforementioned traffic jam, it’s unlikely that anything lateness caused by the jam will result in unfathomable consequences to your future, both immediate and far-reaching.
Focus on the positive. It sounds like something out of a cheesy self-help book, but thinking positively really does have a dramatic effect on how we perceive our lives and how much stress we feel. If you are feeling down about a person or situation, try spending five minutes thinking about something that you enjoy or are thankful for. Taking the time to be positive can have hugely positive impacts on your life and stress level.
Adjust your standards. Perfectionists are probably some of the most stressed out people on the planet. This is because they try to control every single detail of any particular situation, which in turn causes them a lot of stress. Be realistic when you are dealing with work or family or money. Trying to control everything usually results in nothing getting accomplished and a lot of stress, besides!
Re-frame the situation to your liking. So maybe sitting around in a traffic jam isn’t very much fun, but it is time that you can’t be held seriously accountable for. Unless you work for extremely unreasonable people, everybody understands that delays are a natural part of life and there’s very little an individual can do regarding a traffic jam. Consider it extra time to relax and regroup before heading in to another day at the grind.
