When it comes to reducing stress in your life, your beliefs play a very big role. No, I’m not talking about your religious beliefs, or your beliefs in the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, or even whether Elvis is still alive. What I am talking about are the thoughts, attitudes, and reactions you have toward your activating events, those situations that could cause you stress.
Actually, your thoughts play a significant role in creating your stress. Yes, really! How you were raised (Did your parents get angry when they had to wait in line?), the people you are around (Does your spouse get stressed
when you’re in a traffic jam?),and even the media play a part in developing your thought patterns regarding stress. If you can recognize your thoughts as causing your stress and not the activating events (your environment), you will soon be on the path to less stress in your life.
Not an easy task, you say? You’re right. It’s like quitting smoking after a lifetime of engaging in it. It’s so automatic to react negatively to activating events that you don’t even know it’s your thoughts that are causing the reactions.
But we’re not ready yet to overcome our thoughts. We have more information in the action guide to cover before we start.
Next Step:
Activating events coupled with your beliefs end up with the consequences of stress.
Previous Step:
Activating Events are those events in your environment that cause you to get stressed.
Other Steps in this Section:
Once you know the causes of stress, you are better equipped to develop an action plan to address your stress.
The ABC Model helps you understand the causes of stress.
Understanding Your Stressful Situations
Once you become aware of your present situation, you can then begin to understand your stress.
Possible Solutions to Your Stress
Solving your stress depends on what works for you.
Action – Strategies for Success
Take action in order to reduce or eliminate your stress.
Our Subconscious Stress – Fight or Flight
Our fight or flight response is nature’s own stress inducer.
