Clenched teeth, furrowed brow and tense shoulders have become your new normal. Time to learn how take charge.
It doesn’t seem to matter how smart you are, what position you hold, what birth order you are in or any other extrinsic factor, everyone feels stressed at times. Books are written on how to reduce that stress, CD’s teaching relaxation sell quickly and phone apps promising stress relief are a hot item.
But what do you really mean when you say you are stressed? Stress is a catch-all term that we have designated to a constellation of feelings that are not pleasant. It is easily understood by everyone and I am guilty of using it generically too.
To solve your problem more effectively, start by naming the actual feeling… anxious, angry, rushed, restless, worried or tense. The more clearly you can describe the feeling or situation, the better you can determine the cause and deal with it. Is it a relationship, financial or organizational issue? Or is it something else?
I’m all for relaxation and actually do teach techniques to my clients, but if you don’t address the cause of the discomfort, meditating or any other technique will just temporarily relieve the pain. But, if you identify that the clutter in your house is making you anxious (stress), you can make a plan to tackle the issue.
Sometimes when we are in our own “stuff”, it’s difficult to see what’s happening or determine the true cause of our distress. Asking a trusted family member or friend who knows you well, will help you to determine exactly what’s going on. They may even help you with the problem-solving phase.
So instead of having a melt-down because of “stress”, take charge and play detective a bit until you know exactly what that feeling is about so you can truly take charge.