Ponderings (February 2008) - “STRESS”

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary …

Stress is “a constraining force or influence; a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation; bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium; strain; pressure”

Sharing my thoughts …

Do you ever get “stressed out”?  Silly question isn’t it?!  We all experience some form of stress from time to time.  Typically, our first response to stress is to automatically react without thought.  Some people withdrawal, some seek distractions, some dive straight into the situation; we all react differently.  No one reaction is right or wrong; but, reacting without thought seldom resolves the stress.  Whereas, identifying the cause and type of stress (physical, mental, emotional) and understanding your unique style can help you effectively handle stress.  Of course, taking the time to identify what’s going on while you’re in the midst of a stressful situation is not easy.  It takes conscious effort to do this.  But the effort is worth it if you are able to manage, reduce or even eliminate the stress.  How do you handle stress?

Questions to ponder …

1. What physical activities help you relieve stress? 
2. How has stress helped you?  How has it hurt you?
3. What are your top 3 stressors at work?  At home?
4. What is your unique style for reacting to and managing stress?
5. What positive action can you take today to relieve a current stress?
6. How can you change your perspective to cope more effectively with stress?
7. What is your unconscious, automatic reaction to stress?  Does this work for you?
8. Do you notice a pattern relating to the things that cause you stress?  What is the pattern?
9. Think back to a stressful situation that you handled well.  How did you manage the stress?
10. Think back to a stressful situation that you handled poorly.  What would you do differently?

Related quotes …

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.  [William James]

Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath.  Stress is an ignorant state.  It believes that everything is an emergency.  Nothing is that important. Just lie down.  [Natalie Goldberg]

The perfect no-stress environment is the grave. When we change our perception we gain control.  The stress becomes a challenge, not a threat. When we commit to action, to actually doing something rather than feeling trapped by events, the stress in our life becomes manageable.  [Greg Anderson]

In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.  [Lee Iacocca]

Sometimes when people are under stress, they hate to think, and it's the time when they most need to think.  [Bill Clinton]