Mindset Shifts to Harness Stress and Increase Success
Mar 24, 2020Do you want to be good at stress?
You might be thinking, “Be good at it?? Stress is bad!”
To be honest, that way of thinking is a shitty stress mindset, and that could very well be why stress sucks for you.
Sometimes in life, it feels like everything is uncontrollable, and many things truly are.
But you know what you can control?
Your perceptions.
Stress is 100% perceived.
In other words, you decide how stress impacts you, and you control the feelings and actions that come with it.
How Stress Works
Stress starts as a thought, and then it turns into feelings of anxiety, which messes with your physiology and hormones and then shows up negatively in your physical health.
Understanding how stress develops and manifests in your body is a huge self-awareness step towards “being good” at stress.
Your perception of stress determines how it can hurt you or help you.
If you can harness your stressful energy, you can actually make it work for you.
Make Your Stress Work for You
You read that correctly, you can harness stress and use it to your benefit, and I’m going to share how you can do that.
Understand Where the Energy is Coming From
In order to harness stress, you first have to understand where the energy is coming from.
When you’re stressed out, you might notice physical symptoms such as tense muscles, headaches, or a clenched jaw. You may also experience psychological symptoms such as anxiety, worry, or uneasiness.
Instead of letting these negative sensations cloud your thoughts, recognize that this is your body preparing you for a challenge. This is the time to shift your mindset into “go time” mode.
Stress isn’t a Solo Endeavor
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s a sign for you to reach out for support.
Anxious feelings of stress can be alleviated by connecting with others. You never know who will say the right thing or offer the perfect resource.
There’s no reason for you to try to handle everything by yourself. Take advantage of your community and speak to someone about what’s stressing you out.
There is Always Something Good
Even in the worst-case scenarios, you still have the opportunity to get something out of it.
For example, your worst-case scenario may be that you lose your job. However, after losing your job, you have to adapt to unemployment which requires you to rely on your strengths and provides a significant opportunity for you to continue to develop them.
You can ask yourself questions such as:
How can I be most resourceful right now?
Are there any creative ways I can temporarily generate income?
Who do I know that might be able to help me?
Keep in mind that nothing is permanent. Whether you get laid off from your job or have another stressor in your life, it’s a temporary challenge that you’re prepared to handle.
The Good Side of Stress
Using these tips to make stress work for you can positively impact your immune and cardiovascular systems. It can also create a healthier and more skillful response to stressors.
You’ll also prepare your mind and body to be resilient and better handle future stressful events.
When you’re going through a stressful time, make the stress work for you, not against you.
And if you want more help with managing your stress, check out my FREE Self-Sabotage Workshop Series - there’s an entire training dedicated to stress (and how it impacts your self-control!)
See my original Instagram post here.
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