Balancing Stress Instead of Being Consumed By It

Have you ever noticed how sometimes you will be going along feeling just fine, then all of a sudden, some little thing pushes you right over the edge? That’s how stress usually hits me. I won’t even have a clue that I’m stressed out until I respond inappropriately to something.
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Then there are those super resourceful times, you know the ones, when nothing seems to phase you. It’s like you can handle anything without getting the least bit rattled. In fact, I’m like that so much of the time that it really surprises me when I lose it over something trivial.
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Why such different reactions to stress?
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Have you ever wondered why it is that our reaction to stress can vary so much? What is it that makes us untouchable one day and vulnerable the next?
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Well, there are several factors at work here, but they all have something in common. They all fit into the category of things that can be improved with the application of a few advanced life skills. Granted, we can’t always have an influence on the source of our stress. But we can have a powerful influence on the way it effects us.
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Internal resource levels
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This is the major variable when it comes to how we respond to stress. When we are running low on internal resources we become much more susceptible to the influence of stress. You know the feeling. The feeling that you are being pulled in ten different directions and nothing is working out the way it should.
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It doesn’t take very long before your internal resources are stretched to the max in a situation like that. That’s when some little thing pushes you to your tipping point. It’s not that little thing that caused you to wig, it’s everything that came before it. That was just the proverbial straw that broke the camels back.
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Stress is cumulative
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Even small amounts of unresolved stress, applied constantly over a period of time, can tax your resources to the breaking point. This kind of stress is more insidious and will often go unnoticed until we are ready to explode. Think of all the possible sources that might be contributing to this kind of stress.
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One of the reasons we may not notice cumulative stress is because we tend to compartmentalize it. Work stress goes in one internal file, and financial stress goes in another. The problem is, our nervous system feels the cumulative effect. On an emotional level, it all spills over into the same stress pool, like dozens of tiny streams all flowing into one big lake.
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Stress is not always a bad thing
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Stress is a reality of life, and believe it or not, that’s not always a bad thing. A manageable amount of stress can be extremely motivating. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish when the right amount of pressure is on.
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Have you ever amazed yourself by accomplishing something extraordinary because there was some kind of powerful incentive involved? Whether it was a deadline, a bonus, or a limited window of opportunity, it was still pressure that had this motivating influence on you.
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Controlled amounts of stress make us stronger
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When we exercise we expose our bodies to stress in a progressive way. As our physical systems adapt to the new levels of stress, we get stronger. But you wouldn’t want to try to run a marathon or do a 500 pound bench press after two weeks of training. That kind of stress overload would be a disaster.
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Some of the same principals apply emotionally. We can actually raise stress tolerance levels if we go about it progressively. For example, the responsibility of getting married might be perceived as a manageable challenge for a young person. But getting married to a woman with three children might not seem quite so doable. And yet, growing a family progressively feels perfectly normal.
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Seeking balance
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So how do we manage our exposure to stress so it serves us instead of crushing us? Lets look at some practical ways to address the sources of stress we’ve just considered.
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1) Internal resourcefulness. As we learn advanced life skills that foster our personal growth, we become more emotionally resourceful. By learning to adjust our perception of the people and events in our life, we actually change the way they register on our nervous system. Perception can be our greatest asset, or our worst liability. We can choose whether something is stressful or not. Yes, this is a learned skill, but it’s the one that determines the quality of our life. That makes it worth learning!
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2) Don’t let issues go unresolved. To prevent the accumulation of stress we need to resolver problems as they arise. Instead of wishing things would change, we need to initiate change where possible. If there is friction with others, reach out to resolve it. If some area of your life has become a source of stress, give it some attention. By working on potentially stressful situations as they arise, you stop the cumulative effect before it gets overwhelming.
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3) Raise your stress tolerance. If some big undertaking feels overwhelming (stressful), break it down into manageable stages. Instead of focusing on the whole project, turn your attention to one piece at a time. In reality, almost every big task is made up of smaller steps performed in a progressive sequence. Training yourself to mentally break things down into smaller components will change your perception from overwhelming to manageable.
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Think in terms of less, not more
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Filling your life to the brim with productive pursuits is a proven recipe for stress. Don’t feel that “there’s no time” for activities that help you unwind. Regular attention to the relaxing side of life will actually increase your productivity because you will be more resourceful.
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Stress is taking a ridiculously high toll on people these days. A huge percentage of physical, mental, and emotional disorders are the direct result of stress. I encourage you to take a serious look at your life and take steps to lower, manage, and resolve the sources of stress you discover. Life is meant to be enjoyed, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. This means learning to balance stress so it doesn’t consume us.
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Do you have some stress reduction tips to share?
Have you found ways to create balance in this area?
Are you stressed out?
The lines are open!
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Related articles you may enjoy:
11 Steps to a More Positive You
3 Ways to Turn Challenges Into Opportunities
7 Things to Know About Yourself
The Good Life, More Than Money?
Seeking Balance in an Unbalanced World

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