Stress. Pressure. Anxiety. All of these are things we deal with, at least on some level, every day. Some times it comes from our jobs. When you are right at the deadline for a project and it isn't complete yet. Or maybe it's at home with family or relationships. It's amazing how sometimes some of the people you live with and have known all your life can still cause you stress.
While these are probably the most common forms of stress, they are by no means the limit. There are a million of things that cause us stress. It comes in all shapes and forms. Stress is just as varied as the people who suffer from it.
But that's not what I want to focus on. While I'm sure I could write for ages about the different forms of stress, and how it relates to me and other people, I am more interested in the aspect of it that really matters the most.
How do we deal with it?
Take me for example. I tend to let MOST things roll of my back. I try to let very few things really "get" to me. I think it's a trait I inherited from my Father. He is extremely laid back (the only person I know who can take a nap before bed time... no joke) and I have rarely ever seen him really upset. I've often wondered if how you handle stress is a genetic trait or just learned from watching your parents or those around you. My mother handles stress by getting a little sarcastic. I don't think she realizes that she does it some times. But I've noticed it. I do it too, but only under certain types of stress. I digress. I handle stress a little different from both of them. I don't let most things upset me. I try to take a step back and look at it from the point of "Is this something I have control of? Is there anything about this situation that I can actively take part of to change it for the better?" This will often time either give me a clear view of my options for courses of action or just eliminate the problem entirely. It's amazing how many times we stress over things that are completely outside of our control. So instead of thinking of ways to handle it, we waste our energy worrying about something that we have no control over.
It's a silly thing when you think about it really. What good does worrying do? Why would you allow negative feelings govern how you feel? It seems stupid when you word it that way, but that's what's happening!
Some people say "I just can't help it! I have to worry! It's who I am!!" I say bull spit. I refuse to believe we are a slave to a certain way of thinking. God would never make a human who could not help but have negative feeling every time there was a storm on the horizon. It is a choice we make, either conscious or subconscious. And either way, it still falls to us to make it. I refuse to take the victim stance, and will not tolerate people in my life who do.
Those are strong words. But I do mean them. And I hope the people in my life will never let me take the victim mentality. I have met too many people who have, and I can't handle it. The whole "Oh woe is me! Life is so hard and it's not fair and blah blah blah.." and they act like no one else in the world understands what they are going through. And maybe no one else does. SO WHAT? If that's the case then why are you trying to hard to make everyone else understand if they can't? Just accept it and get over it!
Ok, I'm done ranting, back on topic now.
I've seen a lot of people under stress lately. Some people let it out by "venting", some people just ignore it, others get angry. In fact, as I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen two people handle stress the same exact way. Maybe it's a personal thing. Maybe it's more personal than I realized. Still, everyone I've seen handles it differently. Some I understand because of their personality. I guess the way I handle it makes sense because of my personality. But some times it makes absolutely no sense.
I've seen the weirdest situations where the most meek and quiet person explodes and becomes a force to be dealt with. And other times, people who are always very energetic and forceful become very meek and quiet. It can be very strange to see a meek and quiet person go all out on some unsuspecting victim.
I'm not sure where all of this is going, or what I originally intended to prove or show in this. I think I just kind of wanted to write out what I've seen recently. How do you handle stress and pressure? Does it make sense?
While these are probably the most common forms of stress, they are by no means the limit. There are a million of things that cause us stress. It comes in all shapes and forms. Stress is just as varied as the people who suffer from it.
But that's not what I want to focus on. While I'm sure I could write for ages about the different forms of stress, and how it relates to me and other people, I am more interested in the aspect of it that really matters the most.
How do we deal with it?
Take me for example. I tend to let MOST things roll of my back. I try to let very few things really "get" to me. I think it's a trait I inherited from my Father. He is extremely laid back (the only person I know who can take a nap before bed time... no joke) and I have rarely ever seen him really upset. I've often wondered if how you handle stress is a genetic trait or just learned from watching your parents or those around you. My mother handles stress by getting a little sarcastic. I don't think she realizes that she does it some times. But I've noticed it. I do it too, but only under certain types of stress. I digress. I handle stress a little different from both of them. I don't let most things upset me. I try to take a step back and look at it from the point of "Is this something I have control of? Is there anything about this situation that I can actively take part of to change it for the better?" This will often time either give me a clear view of my options for courses of action or just eliminate the problem entirely. It's amazing how many times we stress over things that are completely outside of our control. So instead of thinking of ways to handle it, we waste our energy worrying about something that we have no control over.
It's a silly thing when you think about it really. What good does worrying do? Why would you allow negative feelings govern how you feel? It seems stupid when you word it that way, but that's what's happening!
Some people say "I just can't help it! I have to worry! It's who I am!!" I say bull spit. I refuse to believe we are a slave to a certain way of thinking. God would never make a human who could not help but have negative feeling every time there was a storm on the horizon. It is a choice we make, either conscious or subconscious. And either way, it still falls to us to make it. I refuse to take the victim stance, and will not tolerate people in my life who do.
Those are strong words. But I do mean them. And I hope the people in my life will never let me take the victim mentality. I have met too many people who have, and I can't handle it. The whole "Oh woe is me! Life is so hard and it's not fair and blah blah blah.." and they act like no one else in the world understands what they are going through. And maybe no one else does. SO WHAT? If that's the case then why are you trying to hard to make everyone else understand if they can't? Just accept it and get over it!
Ok, I'm done ranting, back on topic now.
I've seen a lot of people under stress lately. Some people let it out by "venting", some people just ignore it, others get angry. In fact, as I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen two people handle stress the same exact way. Maybe it's a personal thing. Maybe it's more personal than I realized. Still, everyone I've seen handles it differently. Some I understand because of their personality. I guess the way I handle it makes sense because of my personality. But some times it makes absolutely no sense.
I've seen the weirdest situations where the most meek and quiet person explodes and becomes a force to be dealt with. And other times, people who are always very energetic and forceful become very meek and quiet. It can be very strange to see a meek and quiet person go all out on some unsuspecting victim.
I'm not sure where all of this is going, or what I originally intended to prove or show in this. I think I just kind of wanted to write out what I've seen recently. How do you handle stress and pressure? Does it make sense?
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