The bad news is that the world is filled with things that cause us stress. The good news is that we can learn to deal with it effectively. Here are some strategies to help handle stress Successfully.
1. Develop a proper Perspective :
1. Develop a proper Perspective :
One Common Characteristics of people who are able to avoid much of the stress that others experience is that they are able to maintain a proper perspective regardless of life's circumstances. Earle Wilson called perspective. the ability to see the present moment and immediate events against the background of larger reference.
2. Stop Running From Risks:
Fear of risk remains a major cause of stress and potential obstacle to success. Here is what charles swindoll has to say about risk.
""There are no absolute guarantees. No Fall safe plans. No perfectly reliable designs. No completely risk free arrangements. Life refuses to be that near and clear ""
Running Scared invariably blows up in one's face. All who fly risk crashing. All who walk risk stumbling. In short, all who live risk something. To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimentals. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk despair. To Try is to risk failure. Want to know the shortest route to ineffectiveness ? Give in to stress and start running scared. Take no chances. Say no to courage and yes to caution. Expect the worst.
Worrying about risk truly is the shortest route to ineffectiveness. Since life is risk, we need to learn to stop running away from risk and face it optimistically. Expect the worst, and that is what you will get every time. Expect the best, and that is what you will most often get.
3. Work in your areas of strength :
People who work in their areas of strength are less likely to become victims of stress, even when they make mistakes. To see a good examples of this, look at former American football quarterback Roger Staubach. When he was still playing for a Dallas Cowboys, he was asked what his reaction was when he threw a pass and it was intercepted by someone on the other team. He replied "When I throw one I can not wait to get my hands on that football. I can not wait to throw another Pass"
What if there is a second interception ? He was asked.
"It makes it even worse; then I really want to throw that ball, " Staubach answered.
If you are not sure where your areas of strength are, here is something that will help you to identify them. If you make mistakes, and they challenge you instead of causing your to experience stress, them you are probably working in an area of strength. If you mistakes make you feel threatened and tense, you are working in the area of weakness. As you get older, try to work more and more in your areas of strength. IF you do, you are more likely to avoid Stress and achieve Success.
4. Avoid the Rat Race:
In recent years, some people have called the competitive business world in the US the rat race. What they are describing is an intense.. Almost irrational competitive Struggle between people in an industry. It is an environment where people complete fiercely against one another, with them often " Keeping Score" in terms of the amount of personal gain and wealth they acquire. Concerning the rat race, comedian Lily Tomlin said, " The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat".
When are person enters the rate race of competition instead of working towards his goals in order to achieve his vision, he is subjecting himself to unnecessary stress. No matter how hard that person works, he will not be able to receive a sense of satisfaction, because he is competing in too many areas.
And he will never "Win" because anyone who is driven solely by the desire for personal gain will never acquire enough to be satisfied. A Writer for the Herkimer Citizen suggested that we could learn wisdom from the animals. He Wrote.
So far as is known, no bird ever tried to build more nests than its neighbour, no fox ever fretted because he had only one hole in which to hide; no squirrel ever died of anxiety last he should not lay by enough nuts for two winters instead of one, and no dog ever lost any sleep over the fact that he did not have enough bones laid aside for his declining years.
Word hard, Strive to achieve your goals, But do not do it to the detriment of your family, your health, or your fellow man. Nothing is worth that kind of sacrifice or the stress that comes with it.
5. Get off the Road Overload :
Many of us are like the farmer who stood in the middle of his field and said, "I do not got to work; I am surrounded by it" We keep taking on more and more responsibilities until we can not possibly fulfill them all competently. And that causes stress. Sometimes we need to stop taking on more work and get off the road overload. If you are one of those people who love to try new things and keep taking on more, stop periodically and remind your self that you can not do everything and still do what is importantly more effective. Sometimes you have to give up what is merely good in order to do what is best.
6. Develop Strong Convictions :
Dr Harold Dodds Said, "It is not the fast tempo of life that kills, but the boredom. It is the feeling that nothing is worthwhile that makes men ill and unhappy" . Lack of purpose and direction seems to be epidemic in twentieth century. People no longer know what they believe. Many have replaced values with doubts - conviction with apathy.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche recognized people's need for convictions when he said, " If we have a why we shall get along with almost any how" Convictions enable a person to face nearly any situation in life with courage and dignity. The deeper the convictions, the stronger a person is. And the less likely he or she is to experience stress in the face of adversity.
Even truly successful person has strong personal conviction. I credit my success in life to my convictions - to my belief in God and the plan he has for my life. That belief has been my motivation and the source of my strength. It has also made it possible for me to remain positive and relatively stress free in the midst of life's circumstances.
If you are like many people, you may be having a hard time identifying your convictions. If that is the case, talk to some one you know who has strong convictions. He or She may be able to help you work things out.
7. Give up your Rights :
One of the concepts that was a part of the founding of United States was the belief that all people have certain inalienable rights. It is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately, many Americans have become obsessed with fighting for their rights rather than accepting their responsibility.
One of the problems with fighting for your rights, with attempting to get everything that you are entitled to, 'is that is causes a great amount of stress and emotional fatigue. You won't be always be able to get everything want , no matter how hard you try, to help avoid or minimize interruptions.
Everyone has probably heard the statement. "It is better to give than to receive". Anyone who has every given a gift to child knows that statement is true. The same can be true when it comes to your rights. It is possible to find peace in not always demanding to have you way, in giving up your rights. Giving can bring great joy and it can greatly reduce stress.
7. Reprogam your Mind :
Most of what we experience emotionally is a result of the way we think. Stress is no exception. The amount of stress we experience is directly related to our way of thinking. And our way of thinking is the direct result of what we put into our minds.
Computer experts know that the output you receive from a computer is the result of the inputs it gets. The same is true with our brains. Our outputs - what we say, think and do is generated by our input. what we read , watch, hear and see.
Each of us chooses our input, and basically we have two choices; thnigs that add either static or stability of our lives. I know a log of people who are fearful. They fear other people.They wont walk in their own neighbourhood after dark. They put bars on their windows and extra locks on their doors. Yet most of them have never had any traumatic problems with people themselves. They are afraid because of all negative things they see on television. It causes them to live stressfilled lives.
Be aware that your mind is constantly undergoing programming. And you are the only person who can choose what your mind will receive. Stay away from things that are negative and that build stress. Instead, follow the advice of Paul the apostle who said in Phillippians 4:8 "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such thing."
Go back to Handle Stress
Worrying about risk truly is the shortest route to ineffectiveness. Since life is risk, we need to learn to stop running away from risk and face it optimistically. Expect the worst, and that is what you will get every time. Expect the best, and that is what you will most often get.
3. Work in your areas of strength :
People who work in their areas of strength are less likely to become victims of stress, even when they make mistakes. To see a good examples of this, look at former American football quarterback Roger Staubach. When he was still playing for a Dallas Cowboys, he was asked what his reaction was when he threw a pass and it was intercepted by someone on the other team. He replied "When I throw one I can not wait to get my hands on that football. I can not wait to throw another Pass"
What if there is a second interception ? He was asked.
"It makes it even worse; then I really want to throw that ball, " Staubach answered.
If you are not sure where your areas of strength are, here is something that will help you to identify them. If you make mistakes, and they challenge you instead of causing your to experience stress, them you are probably working in an area of strength. If you mistakes make you feel threatened and tense, you are working in the area of weakness. As you get older, try to work more and more in your areas of strength. IF you do, you are more likely to avoid Stress and achieve Success.
4. Avoid the Rat Race:
In recent years, some people have called the competitive business world in the US the rat race. What they are describing is an intense.. Almost irrational competitive Struggle between people in an industry. It is an environment where people complete fiercely against one another, with them often " Keeping Score" in terms of the amount of personal gain and wealth they acquire. Concerning the rat race, comedian Lily Tomlin said, " The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat".
When are person enters the rate race of competition instead of working towards his goals in order to achieve his vision, he is subjecting himself to unnecessary stress. No matter how hard that person works, he will not be able to receive a sense of satisfaction, because he is competing in too many areas.
And he will never "Win" because anyone who is driven solely by the desire for personal gain will never acquire enough to be satisfied. A Writer for the Herkimer Citizen suggested that we could learn wisdom from the animals. He Wrote.
So far as is known, no bird ever tried to build more nests than its neighbour, no fox ever fretted because he had only one hole in which to hide; no squirrel ever died of anxiety last he should not lay by enough nuts for two winters instead of one, and no dog ever lost any sleep over the fact that he did not have enough bones laid aside for his declining years.
Word hard, Strive to achieve your goals, But do not do it to the detriment of your family, your health, or your fellow man. Nothing is worth that kind of sacrifice or the stress that comes with it.
5. Get off the Road Overload :
Many of us are like the farmer who stood in the middle of his field and said, "I do not got to work; I am surrounded by it" We keep taking on more and more responsibilities until we can not possibly fulfill them all competently. And that causes stress. Sometimes we need to stop taking on more work and get off the road overload. If you are one of those people who love to try new things and keep taking on more, stop periodically and remind your self that you can not do everything and still do what is importantly more effective. Sometimes you have to give up what is merely good in order to do what is best.
6. Develop Strong Convictions :
Dr Harold Dodds Said, "It is not the fast tempo of life that kills, but the boredom. It is the feeling that nothing is worthwhile that makes men ill and unhappy" . Lack of purpose and direction seems to be epidemic in twentieth century. People no longer know what they believe. Many have replaced values with doubts - conviction with apathy.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche recognized people's need for convictions when he said, " If we have a why we shall get along with almost any how" Convictions enable a person to face nearly any situation in life with courage and dignity. The deeper the convictions, the stronger a person is. And the less likely he or she is to experience stress in the face of adversity.
Even truly successful person has strong personal conviction. I credit my success in life to my convictions - to my belief in God and the plan he has for my life. That belief has been my motivation and the source of my strength. It has also made it possible for me to remain positive and relatively stress free in the midst of life's circumstances.
If you are like many people, you may be having a hard time identifying your convictions. If that is the case, talk to some one you know who has strong convictions. He or She may be able to help you work things out.
7. Give up your Rights :
One of the concepts that was a part of the founding of United States was the belief that all people have certain inalienable rights. It is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately, many Americans have become obsessed with fighting for their rights rather than accepting their responsibility.
One of the problems with fighting for your rights, with attempting to get everything that you are entitled to, 'is that is causes a great amount of stress and emotional fatigue. You won't be always be able to get everything want , no matter how hard you try, to help avoid or minimize interruptions.
Everyone has probably heard the statement. "It is better to give than to receive". Anyone who has every given a gift to child knows that statement is true. The same can be true when it comes to your rights. It is possible to find peace in not always demanding to have you way, in giving up your rights. Giving can bring great joy and it can greatly reduce stress.
7. Reprogam your Mind :
Most of what we experience emotionally is a result of the way we think. Stress is no exception. The amount of stress we experience is directly related to our way of thinking. And our way of thinking is the direct result of what we put into our minds.
Computer experts know that the output you receive from a computer is the result of the inputs it gets. The same is true with our brains. Our outputs - what we say, think and do is generated by our input. what we read , watch, hear and see.
Each of us chooses our input, and basically we have two choices; thnigs that add either static or stability of our lives. I know a log of people who are fearful. They fear other people.They wont walk in their own neighbourhood after dark. They put bars on their windows and extra locks on their doors. Yet most of them have never had any traumatic problems with people themselves. They are afraid because of all negative things they see on television. It causes them to live stressfilled lives.
Be aware that your mind is constantly undergoing programming. And you are the only person who can choose what your mind will receive. Stay away from things that are negative and that build stress. Instead, follow the advice of Paul the apostle who said in Phillippians 4:8 "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such thing."
Go back to Handle Stress
