Thursday, October 2, 2008

Like Your Attitude?

Never underestimate the simple power of the deep breath. Start with a couple of times each day to begin to program your mind. Pick the same time each day and attach it to something you already do regularly - like when you turn on a light or get into your car or eat lunch or stop at a red light. Take that moment you have decided on and just take a deep, intentful breath.


Attitudes

“As the famed stress researcher Dr. Bruce McEwen has pointed out, a key determining factor triggering the stress response is the way a person perceives a situation. We ourselves give events their meaning, depending on our personal histories, temperament, physical condition and state of mind at the moment we experience them. Thus the degree to which we’re stressed may depend less on external circumstances than on how well we are able to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally.
For human beings most stressors are emotional ones.” (In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate)

The goal is not eliminating all of your stresses. It is much more relaxing to think about getting control of them, one at a time. Think about making small changes. If you can change your routine so there is just a slight difference between what you used to do and what change you expect, you have a much better chance at long term success. If you want to try to get to bed earlier, start with a five minute change. Successful change is permanent, not dramatic.
Life is 10 % what happens to you and 90% how you react to what happens.

Beware the language of stress. “This job stresses me out so much.” “She/he stresses me out.” These statements infer that we are powerless – it is the situation or the job or a person rather than how we are reacting to those things. Try making slight language changes that reflect the reality. “I feel stressed by my job or that driver.” This is not an opportunity to blame ourselves, but rather to acknowledge the reality – stress IS mostly about how we are reacting.

Don't let the stress of the day build up and carry to the next. A fresh start is so necessary for a good day. Stress can be so insidious – it can just creep up on you. It’s like the frog story. It is said that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will never jump out.

Two part series talks about how perception is a major part of causing stress

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