My emotions have been at an all-time high this past week and I found myself extremely anxious, stressed, overwhelmed, and a bit isolated. I cried Friday night.

Stress is a natural feeling we all have experienced that stems from us not feeling like we’re in control or able to cope with specific demands and events (school, work, relationships, financial pressures, etc).

It’s hard to avoid it with so many things competing for our attention and time.

Avoiding stress is NOT 100% achievable nor is it the best thing to do. Stress is a part of everyone’s life. How we react to stress is what sets us apart.

A Stanford health psychologist, Kelly McGonigal challenges us to rethink how we view stress. How we think and how we act can change the experience of our stress.

Two of my favorite quotes from the video:

  1. When you choose to view your stress response as helpful, you create the biology of courage.”
  2. “Go after what it is that creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows.”

A large study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison asked close to 29,000 participants to rate their levels of stress and how much they believed their stress influenced their health. After eight years, researchers found people who had reported high stress and believed that the stress had a large impact on their health had a 43% increased risk of death.

Stuck in a traffic jam? Trains and buses not moving? Late to a meeting? Some people panic and start cursing. Others are more laid-back and take it in stride aka “there’s nothing I can do about the traffic right now, it is what it is. Me getting upset over it is not helping the case.”

Perspective is everything. The more we practice it, the better we get.

Small stressors over time add up.

The bills won’t stop coming and we will never have more than 24 hours in a day, but the good thing is that we can change the way we see things and ultimately, the way we react to stress.

We have more control than we might think we do.

Viewing stress more positively encourages us to cope in ways that help us to thrive and be more resilient.

When were you last stressed? What helped you when you were stressed? A bath? A deep breath? A massage? Music? A yoga class? Venting to a friend?

For me on Friday, it was acknowledging that I was not feeling my best, having a little cry and letting it out, closing it out by journaling to get my floating thoughts down on paper.

No one is stress-free at all times. We’re not okay all the time and that’s okay! Let’s be kind to ourselves and view stress as an opportunity to learn and grow.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
justviasyl
Aspiring to be a woman comfortable and happy mentally, physically and professionally, JustviaSyl highlights Sylvia's personal and professional development journey through tips, thoughts, and stories in hopes of bringing more positive energy into the world and encouraging us to keep learning, laughing, growing, relaxing and reflecting to become the best versions of ourselves and live a life we're remarkably proud of. To get in touch or work together, send a note to justviasyl@gmail.com

Leave a Reply

250 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Anteneh
Anteneh
4 years ago

Hey there, Syl! This is such an important topic that I’m glad you touched upon. I notice sometimes I feel overwhelmed and stressed with endless tasks to complete, things to get done, understanding situations, etc. but it was my perception of them that troubled me. Instead of recalling what I needed to do or the situation itself, I found that by writing them down into physical existence, I realized I became less stressed; I learned that my thoughts alone could negatively amplify the situation and affect my behavior and mind. However, once written and made visual, I could then focus… Read more »

trackback
4 years ago

best erectile dysfunction pills

ed meds online

trackback
4 years ago

best ed medication

top rated ed pills

trackback
4 years ago

erection pills

pills erectile dysfunction

trackback
4 years ago

buy cialis

sale cialis

trackback

canada online pharmacy

cvs pharmacy

trackback

cvs pharmacy

canadian online pharmacy

trackback
4 years ago

generic cialis

cialis visa

trackback
4 years ago

cialis mastercard

Buy cheap cialis

trackback
4 years ago

levitra price

vardenafil price

trackback
4 years ago

levitra generic

levitra pills

trackback
4 years ago

vardenafil 10mg

levitra canada

trackback
4 years ago

wind creek casino online games

wind creek casino online play

trackback
4 years ago

online casino games

online casino games

trackback
4 years ago

viagra without doctor prescription

viagra for women

trackback

slot games

free slots online

trackback
4 years ago

real money casino app

best online casino usa

trackback
4 years ago

personal loans

installment loans

trackback
4 years ago

loans for bad credit

no credit check loans

trackback
4 years ago

online payday loans

cash loans

trackback
4 years ago

viagra 100mg

viagra 100mg

trackback
4 years ago

cialis 5 mg

generic for cialis

trackback
4 years ago

generic for cialis

generic cialis

trackback
4 years ago

cialis internet

new cialis

trackback
4 years ago

cialis buy

buy cialis

trackback
4 years ago

online casino usa

slot machine games

trackback
4 years ago

best online casino

online casino real money usa

trackback

casino gambling

casino slots

trackback
4 years ago

best generic viagra

viagra pills

trackback
4 years ago

sildenafil 100

what is sildenafil

trackback
4 years ago

generic cialis canada

buy cialis pills

trackback
3 years ago

Us viagra

Pfizer viagra 50 mg online

trackback
3 years ago

Cost of viagra

Buy viagra internet

trackback
3 years ago

Buy discount viagra

Discount viagra online

trackback

Viagra jelly

Low cost canadian viagra

trackback
3 years ago

viagra penis

viagra penis

trackback

will daily cialis help bph

will daily cialis help bph

trackback

dr consultation but viagra

dr consultation but viagra

trackback
3 years ago

daily cialis coupon

daily cialis coupon

trackback
3 years ago

mom gives dad viagra

mom gives dad viagra

trackback

counterfeit canadian drugs cialis

counterfeit canadian drugs cialis

trackback
3 years ago

viagra fumes

viagra fumes

trackback

will amoxicillin help a uti

will amoxicillin help a uti

trackback

side effects of azithromycin

side effects of azithromycin

trackback

celebrex chemical structure

celebrex chemical structure

trackback

taking gabapentin with cephalexin

taking gabapentin with cephalexin

trackback
3 years ago

cymbalta fibromyalgia

cymbalta fibromyalgia

trackback

can you take antacids with amoxicillin

can you take antacids with amoxicillin

trackback

azithromycin package insert

azithromycin package insert

trackback

celecoxib side effects

celecoxib side effects

1 2 3 5
Follow

Get the latest posts delivered to your mailbox:

250
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x