Stress and Worry- Take Control

Have you ever found yourself worried or stressed? Do you know what prompted this feeling? Did it take up time in your day? Stress is a reaction to an event, or a thought. Most reactions to stress are negative and thus are often interchangeably referred to as worry. When negative stress, or worry robs us of joy, it keeps us awake even though it is beyond our control. So when worry, or stress comes knocking on your door, think before letting them enter your life. Many people say we can’t prevent stress, or worry but when we examine more carefully what we worry about we find that 40% of it never happens, 30% already happened in the past so we can’t change it anyway, 12% is personal criticism either about others or criticism we have toward others, which is unproductive either way, 10% is health related and 8% of that which we worry about actually has validity, but worrying or stressing about it is still an unproductive way of handling it.

We actually have to practice giving up our worry or casting it out of our lives. Everyday, consciously decide if what you are worrying about deserves time in your day, what will you gain from giving time to this matter and what can you lose by giving time to worry. A precious moment may escape you because you are preoccupied by something that you can’t change or fretting over something that won’t even happen. Stress currently accounts for 45 to 90% of the medical expenses. According to the Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health - Stress is the leading cause of death as it is the leading contributor to Heart Disease, Cancer, Lung Disorders, Accidents, Cirrhosis of the Liver, and Suicide.

Just as research and statistics show that negative thoughts can decrease our health research also shows that actions that promote positive emotions are beneficial to health. In one study, people were asked to count their blessings. People who “counted their blessings” weekly for 10 weeks by listing things for which they were grateful, or thankful had better health outcomes, fewer physical complaints, spent more time exercising, and had better sleep quality. So renew your commitment daily to worry less because so that you add vitality and energy to your life. Accentuate the positive events in your day. It may not be possible to be completely worry or stress free, but we can choose how much time we will allow negative thoughts to consume in our day. The more time we give negativity the higher the price we pay. My ultimate question is whether or not what you are worrying about or stressed about is worth dying over? No – it isn’t! Then begin taking control of your stress.

Here are the six R’s for stress management:
1. Responsibility – You are in control of where you put your energy and thoughts.
2. Reflection – know your stress triggers and be aware of stress symptoms so that you are ready to prevent them from taking over your thoughts and your day.
3. Relaxation – Schedule worry free – stress free time at least once a day, or as I share in my programs take at least 3 cleansing breaths a day.
4. Relationships – maintain a supportive relationship that helps to strengthen you and establish clear boundaries in relationships that have the ability to drain you.
5. Refueling – eat healthy foods that are high in fiber, low in salt and cholesterol and have protein to refuel the brain.
6. Recreation time – make time every day to exercise your body, enjoy life – to have fun and laugh.
“In one minute I can change my attitude, and that minute can change my entire day.” Author Unknown.

I can only hope you are willing to hear that you have an active choice about letting negative stress into your life and into your mind. Start now, make choices that allow you to enjoy your life. The life we have today never looks like the life we had yesterday. Something is always changing and evolving. Looking forward helps us to reach to new goals. Looking back and longing for what we had or what we lost can be very destructive and disempowering as it stunts our growth. Letting go of negative stress and worry gives us more time and opportunities to be happier, to be healthier, and to move forward.
(It was great to see so many familiar faces at the One Goal Conference in Tampa July 2010.)

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