3 Stress Busting Ideas for Stress Awareness Month!

Show Notes:

April is Stress Awareness Month. This is a great time to look at
the stress and the stressors in your life and create a path to
eliminate or significantly lower the chronic stress response.

In Summary - The 3 Stress Busting Ideas:

- Take a Stress Inventory and identify two or three promising
stress lowering strategies;

- Create a video mind story for one or more of your chosen
strategies and prepare a short affirmation using the words, “I
Choose”; and,

- Practice 1 to 2 minutes of deep, Diaphragmatic Breathing several
times a day.

Details for Each Idea and More in podcast and in show notes
below.

Good Stress Versus Bad Stress

A certain minimal level of stress can be good. It can help us focus
attention and martial success resources. That kind of stress is
eustress.

Eustress can happen for example when we're thinking about a first
date with someone, preparing for a presentation, or doing something
for the very first time. You've practiced, you're ready to go,
you've done all the things necessary. But there are still those
butterflies in your stomach. That type of stress is short lived,
it’s episodic,

The problem stress is long term chronic stress. The sources of
chronic stress can be many. They can be problematic situations at
work, problems with significant others in a relationship, or
ongoing financial based stress. These all (and many other
situations) can create chronic stress.

How can you successfully deal with stress?

3 Ideas to Dissolve Stress

Idea Number 1: Conduct a Stress Assessment

The first thing I suggest is take an inventory of the top two or
three situations, people, or circumstances you believe are
stressors. Write those stressors down. Naming the stress and naming
the source of stress alone can often help reduce your stress
response.

Once written down, let your imagination wander and come up with
three actions you can take to help reduce that number one
stressor.

Questions to consider:

- Can you eliminate the trigger?
- Can you better prepare for the problem situation?
- Is this a situation that can helped or eliminated with an honest,
open conversation?

Let your subconscious mind have free rein to offer ideas that can
eliminate or reduce the stress response.

Repeat the same process for the second and third stressors on your
list.

Idea Number 2: Take Defense Action Ahead of Stress Creating
Situations

What do I mean by that? As an example, If you know you're going to
have a conversation with someone who is a problem, plan that
conversation and the circumstances related to that
conversation.

Rehearse in mind how you are going to deal with that person or
situation. Create a mind video story where you act out what you
will do, say, and feel. Play that video in the theatre of mind.
Make the video mind story big, bold, and in full Technicolor.

Once you have the plan in place and you created and played your
video mind story, write down an affirmation that supports that
video mind story.

For example, if a co-worker is a problem you've created a video
story about how you will deal with that co-worker on a day to day
basis or in a particular situation. The affirmation would be
something like,

“I choose to develop the strategies I created in that video mind
story. I choose to apply those strategies in circumstances where I
have contact with the individual I have a problem with.

The magic two words are, “I choose”. Before going into an
interaction with that person. revisit the video story. It only
takes a couple of seconds to do that. Then, reread the affirmation
you have written down. This will help ensure you are emotionally
prepared and mentally ready to deal with whatever comes up.

Idea Number 3: Take 1 to 2 Minute Breathing Breaks

I recommend you apply deep breathing early and often. Breathe in
for the count of five, hold briefly for a second or so, and breathe
out for the count of five. That can be four seconds, five seconds,
or six seconds.

The important thing is to breathe diaphragmatically and
rhythmically with a slow comfortable in breath, a brief hold for a
second or so, and a slow out breath. As you breathe out, smile and
say peace. Apply deep breathing for 30 seconds to two minutes as
time and circumstances allow.

Doing this simple breath exercise several times a day will help
keep your stress level down. You will feel better, your stress
level will be lower, and you will have a much, much better
day.

In Summary:

- Take a Stress Inventory and identify two or three promising
stress lowering strategies;

- Create a mind video story for one or more of your chosen
strategies and prepare a short affirmation using the words, “I
Choose”; and,

- Practice 1 to 2 minutes of deep, Diaphragmatic Breathing several
times a day.

Visit the “Mind Over Stress” Show Website

For more Stress Mastery methods visit the “Mind Over Stress Show”
website at http://MindOverStress.us.

Stephen Carter

Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com | Podcast:
www.MindOverStress.us