It is no secret that negative thinking is part of almost everyone’s life. It is easier to think negative thoughts, than to think positive thoughts. It would be a good strategy to avoid negative thinking, though, in many cases, it is easier said than done.
(Image source: Google)
One of the reasons why you may be feeling stressed is that you are bringing it onto yourself by holding on to negative attitudes. Thus, it might help to greatly relieve your stress if you identify these attitudes and work to change them. These include:
Perfectionism
People who have this negative attitude are never satisfied, no matter how much work they have put into a project. Even if they know that they’ve done their best, when they look at the finished output, instead of seeing everything that they did right, they only see what they were not able to achieve and where they fell short.
(Image source: Google)
(Image source: Google)
Comparing yourself to others
The people who suffer from this negative attitude are always measuring themselves against other people at home or in their workplace. Thus, they feel stressed because they always feel that they cannot live up to a certain person. They always think that other people are judging them and feeling that they fall short.
(Image source: Google)
(Image source: Google)
Always being pessimistic
The people who have this attitude always feel that something bad is going to happen. They never go into a situation feeling that things will work themselves out for the best, but they always prepare themselves for the worst.
(Video source: Youtube)
Promote an attitude of gratitude
You should learn to say thank you, even in situations that you perceive as negative. For example, if you are running late to work, instead of cursing the traffic and other things around you, you can think about things that you should be thankful for. For example, you can be thankful that you have a car to drive to work, that you have a job and a family who loves you.
One effective way that you can be more grateful is to start a gratitude journal. Simply take a blank note book and then write down everything that you have to be grateful for first thing in the morning or last thing at night before you go to sleep.
Learn how to approach things with humor
No matter how tense things are, there is always something humorous you can find about it. This does not mean that you will laugh at it but rather you will see how absurd the situation is. At the very least, you can look at the situation in perspective so that you can see that it is not as bad as it seems.
Alternative, you can also use humor as a way to deal with stress. For example, you can watch your favorite TV comedy so that you can get a good laugh that will help you feel better.
(Video source: Youtube)
Accept that there are some things that are beyond your control
There are many things that we blame ourselves for which we actually cannot control. For example, even if you leave home early, you can still run into traffic. In your workplace, no matter how prepared you are, there still bad things that can happen. In this case, if there is nothing you can do about the situation, you should simply accept this let go.
(Image source: Google)
Learn how to resolve conflict in a positive manner
Just because you are involved in a conflict with somebody doesn’t mean that you have to handle the conflict as if you are going to war. Instead, treat the conflict as if it were a negotiation wherein both parties will get something out of it. Prepare to compromise to ensure that everybody gets what they want.
Communicate your feelings to others in a healthy way
Just because you are suffering from negative feelings such as anger does not mean that you have to communicate them in angry ways or blame other for them. Take responsibility for your feelings and communicate them in a detached way. Also don’t communicate these feelings in such a way that you expect someone else to do someone else to do something about them; make it clear that you are simply communicating your feelings so that the other person understands this is how you feel.
(Video source: Youtube)
Learn to identify when you are feeling over-stressed
Some stress is inevitable when you are working or facing other situations. However, you should learn when to pull back when the stress is too much so that you can rest, take a break and do other things to de-stress.
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Quick fixes for dealing with stressful situations
Here are some quick fixes that can help to bust your stress:
Do some de-stressing exercises. One of the physical manifestations of stress is tension in your muscles. Doing stretching exercise can help relieve some of this tension. One simple stretching exercise is to pretend that you are a cat and stretch your back. Then you can relieve the tension in your neck muscles by letting your head fall forward and then stretching the muscles by revolving your head several times clockwise and then several times counterclockwise. If your doing it correctly, you should feel the muscles in your neck cricking.
(Video source: Youtube)
Declutter your workplace. Having a cluttered desk can add to the stress that you may already be feeling, so clean it out. You can start by putting aside in your drawers the things that you don’t immediately need. Then through away documents and other items that you don’t need anymore. Finally organize the stuff that is remaining on your desk in such a way that you can easily get to them as you need them, while creating a neat workplace.
Take a short walk. It can help clear your mind and relieve stress if you take a walk around the block for example. You can also use your walk to practice mindfulness. While you are walking, instead of letting your thoughts wander, focus on what you see around you. Listen to the different sounds and noises you are hearing. Feel the way your feed move up and down as you are walking.
