Do You Create Your Own Stress?

There is adage that we are often our own worst enemy for a very important reason, which is that it is all too often true! While many will say that stress is often unavoidable, it should be understood that one person treats and reacts to as stress, another views as merely one of life's challenges, and decides not to permit these obstacles to get in his way. More often than not, we let potentially stressful circumstances control us, rather than maintaining control over them. Personal stress is often intensified because many spend more time and effort worrying about what might go negatively, or what might go wrong, than focusing on best alternatives, methods, and approaches. Indeed, it is our perception that often creates our attitude, and when negativity out - battles our positivity, we resort to debilitating behaviors and fixations. Those that dwell in possible negatives inevitably bring on what they most fear.

1. What is achieved by dominating worrying? Instead of being helpful and productive, when we permit our worry control our mindset, we shrink away from taking timely, needed and production action. While the adage that whatever our mind can conceive of and believe in, it can achieve, the opposite is generally also fact. Therefore, when our mind focuses on our fears and what might go wrong, we generally open up the floodgates for it to come pouring through.

2. Our level of harmful or debilitating stress is related to our personal attitude. The more we approach life from the positive, the better we are capable of handling and growing from our stresses. When the Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Hans Selye discussed stress, he referred to debilitating or harmful stress, which is non - productive, versus eustress, which is when we use things that happen or might occur, learn from them, and become even better and stronger. Strength of character is nearly always directly related to the level of our positivity of attitude.

3. Avoid dwelling on the negatives! Instead of being a victim of the paralysis of reality and perceptions, our best and most productive approach is invariably focusing on ways to get things done, and overcome obstacles, rather on how those negatives and potentially stressful scenarios might cause problems. The strongest individuals never perceive problems, but rather believe in challenges that the right alternative and approach will overcome and defeat.

Don't live your life as a victim of what might be! Instead, move forward by planning and taking productive steps to determine your own destiny.