Summary: Do you want to break the hold stress has on your life? Are there ways to be happier, healthier, and more productive? Can you find the courage to gain resilience and hold up under pressure? Are you ready to learn new methods on how to prevent stress? Or at least to meet challenges head-on? Turn stress into wellness. Yes, you can.
Stress is an important monster to slay. Or at least tame.
Most importantly, it’s time to find a better balance between family, work, relationships, relaxation, and fun.
In other words, the time is now to give up the refrain of “HELP! I’m drowning in STRESS.”
The paradox of success as a negative.
In the same vein, do you scream out or stuff down these words “HELP! I’m drowning in SUCCESS?”
For instance, Have you ever thought that success is actually causing most of your excessive stress?
Those are the words that became a universal theme for so many of us, for what seems like forever.
Time to leave overwhelm and upset behind.
For example, do you blame all of your tense behavior on today’s stressful situations?
Certainly, you can blame some of your crappy mood on what is happening in today’s world. But, not all of it.
Above all, ask yourself to consider the benefits of managing your stress.
Consequently, how would it feel to be more positive, more creative, and more productive?
Further, what if you have fewer tension headaches, better digestion, deeper concentration, better sleep, and even higher self-esteem.
Most importantly, I sure wish I had a magic wand and could do a few quick wand waves and make
everything better. I do love easy rather than tough.
However, I can’t just help you wish your stress away. I can offer some tips to get you out of the red zone and into the green.
Stop, look, and listen to yourself.
First, please listen to the words you use to express your upset.
Second, look in a mirror. Notice how you react when you become upset. Do you squint your eyes or twist your mouth as if you are eating something sour? Or do your shoulders end up near your ears like you are battle-ready?
Here’s what happened recently to Marcy, a senior executive known for her amazing insights and quick wit.
Last week she found out that someone had taken over her project. She said no one informed her. Was it intentional, or
was it just an oversight?
Her trusted colleague, her boss, someone she loved to work with had put the finishing touches on the proposal. She never asked Marcy’s permission or her approval.
Learn from Marcy’s tale of distress.
Here’s what Marcy told me recently. It was during a coaching executive coaching session.
“It was an old, familiar feeling. It crept over me. I was invisible, discounted.
By the time I called to talk with my boss, I was almost out of control. As I spewed forth my rage, I really
listened to my words. As you say, Sylvia, I got to observe myself.I told her over and over that she had crossed boundaries that were inappropriate and simply not okay with me.
How dare she not consider me and my feelings?
And then I went limp.
I heard what I was saying. I felt the way I used to feel after my parents,
both of them would discipline me by beating the crap out of me if I ever
I spoke up for myself.I finally calmed down and, to my embarrassment, found out that she already
sent the proposal back to me to complete. I had not received it yet.At least I was aware of what made me so damned upset. After that, I had to do damage control.
Then Marcy laughed and said, “If stress burned calories, I’d be a supermodel.”
Memories hold the key to stress mastery.
Marcy’s memories had taken over, and with her emotions leading the way, she could not sit quietly. The past had invaded the present.
Moreover, those memories were waiting for a chance to show up. They appear when an old wound from years ago arrives in the present time.
This is happening more and more these days. We all reach the limits of handling stress both from work, home, and the world. That’s when we revert to behavior patterns from childhood.
Above all, while I don’t have a magic wand, I do have answers.
I’ve put together a program so you can find more effective ways to handle stress. After that, you won’t let the triggers from the past take over your behavior today.
It’s about finding the zone between shouting out upset and stuffing it down.
Get to the safe stress zone.
To sum up, I call it the safe stress zone.
Take the STRESS MASTERY QUIZ to find out about what causes you to fly off the
handle like Marcy did or run and hide like so many others do.
Here is the advice of American philosopher, historian, and psychologist, William James.
“Tension is a habit. Relaxing is a habit.
Bad habits can be broken. Good habits formed.”
In conclusion, stress won’t go away, and neither will the old memories that cause the stings of hurt and anxiety.
However, you can learn better ways to navigate the rocky road of difficult days. If you can handle stress. You can manage success.
Keep going and keep growing,
Sylvia
PS. Want some personal time to talk with a coach? Click here to get ideas on how to pivot from old ways of responding. It’s life-changing.
