A Special Report on Stress Management - Empower Your World!
Three Keys to Successfully Overcoming Stress!
By Michael Pollak
"I can't take it anymore!" "There is just too much to do. I can't do it all!" "My boss tells me today that he wants this big report by tomorrow. How can I do it?" Does this sound familiar? Not being able to cope with stress is the cause of so much suffering in our lives yet we often do not realize that we are in control and not our circumstances.
'I can't do it' never yet accomplished anything; 'I will try' has performed wonders. - George P. Burnham
Thank you for taking the time to read this powerful report on stress management. When you've finished reading this report I'm sure you'll agree that it was well worth your time as it empowers you to overcome stress.
I am just like you. I work, I have a family, I have bills to pay and so many things to get done each day sometimes I wonder, "How can I do all this?" We may all feel like this from time to time or all the time. So I went searching for help. I wanted to give others the benefit of my research gathered from multiple sources and share the knowledge I found in this easy to absorb report. You may be asking: How do I deal with stress? How can I understand it? Who will help me? I too have asked those questions. I've been on a quest to find the information and methods to help us achieve success in managing our lives so you too can prevent, cope with, and/or get rid of stress. Guess what? I found it. Just keep reading to find out.
There are three keys I want us to focus on:
1. Understanding what stress is. 2. How to cope with stress. 3. Putting into action what you learn.
First, understanding what stress is. How can we overcome something we may know little about? We all see the effects of stress but do we all know how it creeps into our lives? Dr. Hans Selye, the father of stress theory, defined stress as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand made upon it." The demand may be a threat or increased burden which requires the body to adapt. Our response is immediate. There is actually good stress and bad stress. The stress we tend to think about most often is bad stress. The American Institute of Stress has stated, "Increased stress increases productivity – up to a point, after which things rapidly deteriorate, and that level also differs for each of us. It's much like the stress or tension on a violin string. Not enough produces a dull raspy sound and too much an irritating screech or snaps the string – but just the correct degree of stress creates a beautiful tone. Similarly, we all have to find the right amount of stress that permits us to make pleasant music in our daily lives. You can learn how to utilize and transform stress so that it will make you more productive and less self-destructive."
If you were to ask 10 different people what defines stress, or what causes stress for them, or how stress affects them, you would likely get 10 different answers. This is due in part to the fact that there is not a definition of stress that everyone agrees on. In fact, stress can occur at different times and places for different people. As stated in an article entitled, Coping with Stress and Discouragement, found on www.providentliving.org, "...the truth is, it is more the way we react to events, rather than the events themselves, that causes stress. It is our ability to adjust to changes in our circumstances that determines the degree of stress we feel. It is for this reason that what is stressful for one person isn't necessarily stressful for another." The article goes on to state, "Surprisingly, a certain amount of stress can be good for us. Research has shown that those with a hardy view of stress, for example, will look at a potentially difficult event as a challenge rather than as something to be feared. Even working on a project sixty hours a week can be challenging and exciting as long as we are committed to the undertaking. How we cope with stress, therefore, is more important than what causes the stress. But it does help to identify what those stressors are before we can deal with them."
Stressors are the events or triggers that cause stress for us. These can be: Physical environment, Social interaction, Organizational, Major life events, Daily hassles, Lifestyle choices, Negative self-talk, Mind traps, or Personal traits (perfectionist, workaholic), among others. Take a look at your life and see what stressors you can identify.
Now we are starting to get a better understanding of what stress is and where it may come from. It's just like the old G.I. Joe cartoon used to say, "Now we know and knowing is half the battle."
Second, how do we cope with stress? This is different for everyone as what works for one person may not work for another. You have to try them to see for yourself. However, we can identify some proven ideas that will empower you to succeed. The following list of ideas is adapted from Coping with Stress and Discouragement found on www.providentliving.org.
• Get Out of Debt. A common cause of family conflict is financial stress. Avoid debt to the extent possible. If we were to spend less than we earn, this practice alone would substantially reduce much of the financial stress most of us feel.
• Keep Physically Fit. To handle stress, our bodies require rest, exercise, and a good diet. Participating in a favorite sport is also an excellent way to let off steam.
• Change Habits and Routines. Some people find that getting up an hour earlier gives them much greater control of their lives and uninterrupted time to do many things that otherwise don't get done. For others, a short nap gives the needed refreshment.
• Change Your Pace. A change of pace can bring a feeling of renewal and the serenity to cope with a hectic life-style. A short interlude amid the beauties of nature, a few minutes in quiet thought, reading a good book, doing anything we particularly enjoy (including nothing) for a while-all can help when the pressure intensifies.
• Share Your Frustrations. Talking our problems over with family members not only helps relieve stress, but it can also enlist the family's cooperation in finding solutions to the stress-producing situations. Writing in a journal can also provide insight as it helps us release tensions and cope with everyday stress. Wise parents will help their children see the value of writing down their feelings in a personal journal or notebook.
One mother of a large family confides, "My notebooks and journals are priceless. Some people are willing to pay professional counselors to listen as they unravel what's in their head or their heart. For me, writing down my thoughts and feelings has been an unfailing source of revelation about my own inner self. Especially when I feel stressed out, discouraged, or down for any reason, I write what I'm feeling (often just a list of ‘I feel …' sentences), and I am usually able to clarify what it is that is weighing on me. Then I can deal with it more effectively. Sometimes I fill a whole page with my frustrations before I begin to see what's really bothering me. I have come to know myself intimately through my own writing."
• Relax and Enjoy Life. Some of us simply need to relax more and enjoy life, our children, and our relationships with spouse and friends. (We sometimes forget that the ability to feel joy is innate in all of us and that our lives can be full of joy if we will choose it.)
• Don't Forget Humor. Serious though life is, there are many moments that would be enriched by a sense of humor. We will greatly reduce stress if at times we can laugh at the incongruity in our lives. Laughter in a family is a wonderful lubricant that can alleviate the friction of too much stress.
According to the American Institute of Stress, it makes more sense to focus on what is causing the stress in our lives and not just what may alleviate the symptoms. They also suggest that we sometimes create our own stress due to habits and personal traits that can have harmful effects. These things can be changed by looking at ourselves and working toward changing those things that may induce our stress.
Third, we must set these proven solutions into action in our individual lives. What good is all the knowledge in the world if it is not put to good use? Put off your fears of not being able to overcome your stress. Confide in others who will strengthen you. Now is the time to overcome life's pains and struggles. Others have done it and you can to. I know you can!
Take the keys you have learned in this special report and make goals for areas in your life that need the most improvement. When you think about any successful business or person, goals are a major factor in their success. If we do not know or focus on what we want to achieve, how can we ever hope to achieve it? We must keep our eye on the prize.
Take some time today and have a goal setting session. You may want to involve your spouse or a family member or friend who can help you. As a goal pick one suggestion from this report on coping with stress. Write it down. Think about what you can do to actually implement the suggestion in your life in the coming week. Write down the action items that will take you step by step to achieving your goal. Now, put this paper where you can easily see it everyday. Make copies to have at different locations. My Mom used to always tell me, "Out of sight, out of mind." So, keep it in your sight.
Each day take an inventory of your achievements. Are you neglecting a particular action item or are you accomplishing each of them during the day? See if you need to add another action item to further help you. The result you are trying to achieve with writing down your goal and action items is to set your step by step approach to achieve your goal. Take comfort in knowing that if you are doing the action items you can't help but accomplish your goal! Try it. I know you can do it! Life is full of great opportunities. This is your opportunity to bring an increase of joy into your life as well as those around you.
"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
- Francis of Assisi
Well, it's time to say goodbye. Before I go I wanted to tell you that there are many proven solutions to overcoming stress. Just click http://www.empoweryourworld.com to find out more.
Sincerely,
Michael Pollak
Business Owner, Father, & Friend
Effective Stress Managment
