One of the things I like to ask at the beginning of a class is "What is stress?" Some of the responses I get are, "My boss", "My family", "Money", or some other "external" issue.
I know the feeling. Like I've said, I used to think I knew what my problems were and where they lived.
However the answers are incorrect for the reason that they describe the stressor instead of the stress which is our internal reaction to those external happenings. Technically stress is the way we respond to a situation that we deem to be a threat or challenge to our well being. But as we are all different there are different ways that people respond to those threats or challenges.
As I say in the class "It's not from without, it's from within" that counts.
For instance, people can experience "family issues" but all have very different responses based on how they view what is happening.
We react to the "stressor" - that which is happening - based on things such as our beliefs, views and how we were conditioned by our life experiences. The situation, person, place or thing is what it is.
The "secret" to managing stress is determine the how and why we react the way we do and whether it's a positive and healthy way or a self-destructive way.
No comments:
Post a Comment