Managing your stress begins with identifying the sources of stress in your life. Easier said that done, right? Finding out the real sources of your stress isn’t always easy.
It is simple to overlook your own stress inducing thoughts, feelings and emotions. You can easily identify the stress from work deadlines, but what is the genesis for having stress about the deadline? Maybe it’s procrastination and not the job demands that leads to the stress associated with deadlines.
Help identify the sources of your stress: examine your habits, attitudes and excuses:
- Is it too often easy to explain your stress as a temporary state? “I have so much going on right now.” But can you remember the last time you didn’t have a million things going on?
- Has your stress become a permanent part of your life? “My home life is always crazy and sporadic.”
- Do you blame others for your stress? Do you blame outside events for your stress?
- Do you think that stress is normal?
Until you are able to accept responsibility for your role in creating and maintaining your stress levels, stress will continue to exist outside your control.
