What is stress? There are three elements of stress and they include a stressor, a reaction to the stressor, and then the stress response.
A stressor can be a person, thing, situation, or activity that may cause an individual to develop stress. For example, death, dying, divorce, or devastation. Some other stressors may consist of work, school, a relationship, bills, weight, health, or the economy.
When we experience a stressor we react and our reactions include our thoughts, feelings, and actions which in turn triggers the stress response. The stress response is the well known fight or flight response.
The foundation of our reaction, that causes the fight or flight response, begins with a thought that we may not be able to handle this particular stressor. After every thought comes a feeling. If we think that we will not be able to handle this particular stressor, we will feel doubt, fear, worry, or maybe even anxiety. These thoughts, feelings, and the actions that follow, trigger the fight or flight, aka the stress response.
When the stress response is initiated, results from the stress follow. The results may be emotional, mental, physical, or spiritual.
So, back to "How to Destress Yourself." Now that we know what stress is we can easily learn How to Destress Yourself.
To truly destress yourself is to discover how to react to stressors with more confidence, faith, and hope. Remember the thought that we may not be able to handle this stressor? Well, we must look at the situation and ask ourselves, "if the worst were to happen, could I handle it?" The answer? A resounding "YES!"
No matter what happens, you can handle it. Learn to react with this thought, no matter what the stressor is, and you will learn How to Destress Yourself.
Hope this is helpful!!!
Until next post, don't forget to have fun and be playful!!!
Elizabeth
