We are all aware of the stressful times we are surrounded with, and these situations can easily lead us to feeling overwhelmed. Learning to combat stress is a helpful skill we can learn so as to regain a maximized quality of life. There is a very effective way of doing this, through cognitive redirection, and focusing on the positive aspects of our lives instead of the negative ones. By taking the time to acknowledge good fortune in our lives, and not allowing setbacks or problems to become dominating factor in our outlook allows us to deal with stress on a more successful level.
Many times it's just easier to be ungrateful about the things we do not have instead of being grateful for the positive things we have been dealt or what we have achieved. These positive parts of our lives are often overlooked and taken for granted until some sort of disaster hits. All too often we can forget about having a roof over our heads, a warm bed and even a hot shower. Once we can identify those things for which we have to be grateful for, we have the perfect exercise for positive thinking, and it could actually change our feelings towards stress as well as balancing out the related effects.
Stress is caused by many factors, but it is defined as a maladaptive state where the individual is not in equilibrium with his or her surroundings. We now know that the distinction between the body and the mind is of limited usefulness. Trauma to the body can affect the mind and negative thoughts can affect the body. Stressful experiences that prompt negative emotions have a direct affect on the chemistry of the body. Our bodies produce hormones and other chemical substances, including adrenalin and cortisol, in response to threat and stress.
Fortunately this works both ways. A calming environment along with some positive thoughts can fight the mental and physical effects of stress. Allow yourself a bit of time every day simply to concentrate on the positive - even if it is as little as a few minutes - you will be able to remove yourself from the causes and effects of stress.
Learning to recognize nuggets of good fortune can radically change our perspective. Problems can overshadow the things that are going well and distort perception. For example, we panic about uncompleted tasks instead of rewarding ourselves for what we have achieved. Especially over a prolonged period of stress, we can develop patterns of jumping to negative conclusions. Focusing on things that make us happy is a powerful technique for disrupting that pattern of thinking and reducing stress. It can even boost the immune system.
It may initially be difficult to identify those particular things you have to be grateful for, especially if you are already stressed, tense and can't see the forest for the trees. Take time to practice, and start with easy things such as a sunny day, or a new rose on your bushes. You will more than likely rely on hindsight to start, but with time and a little effort you will notice it becoming easier.
While training yourself to recognize the many reasons you have to be grateful, the amount of time you spend taking things for granted will lessen dramatically. Seeing that flower blooming will trigger the recognition for seeing the reasons for celebration. As this appreciation integrates into your daily routine and functionality you can, and will discover how this process will reinforce positive thinking as well as your capacity to deal with stress.
Many times it's just easier to be ungrateful about the things we do not have instead of being grateful for the positive things we have been dealt or what we have achieved. These positive parts of our lives are often overlooked and taken for granted until some sort of disaster hits. All too often we can forget about having a roof over our heads, a warm bed and even a hot shower. Once we can identify those things for which we have to be grateful for, we have the perfect exercise for positive thinking, and it could actually change our feelings towards stress as well as balancing out the related effects.
Stress is caused by many factors, but it is defined as a maladaptive state where the individual is not in equilibrium with his or her surroundings. We now know that the distinction between the body and the mind is of limited usefulness. Trauma to the body can affect the mind and negative thoughts can affect the body. Stressful experiences that prompt negative emotions have a direct affect on the chemistry of the body. Our bodies produce hormones and other chemical substances, including adrenalin and cortisol, in response to threat and stress.
Fortunately this works both ways. A calming environment along with some positive thoughts can fight the mental and physical effects of stress. Allow yourself a bit of time every day simply to concentrate on the positive - even if it is as little as a few minutes - you will be able to remove yourself from the causes and effects of stress.
Learning to recognize nuggets of good fortune can radically change our perspective. Problems can overshadow the things that are going well and distort perception. For example, we panic about uncompleted tasks instead of rewarding ourselves for what we have achieved. Especially over a prolonged period of stress, we can develop patterns of jumping to negative conclusions. Focusing on things that make us happy is a powerful technique for disrupting that pattern of thinking and reducing stress. It can even boost the immune system.
It may initially be difficult to identify those particular things you have to be grateful for, especially if you are already stressed, tense and can't see the forest for the trees. Take time to practice, and start with easy things such as a sunny day, or a new rose on your bushes. You will more than likely rely on hindsight to start, but with time and a little effort you will notice it becoming easier.
While training yourself to recognize the many reasons you have to be grateful, the amount of time you spend taking things for granted will lessen dramatically. Seeing that flower blooming will trigger the recognition for seeing the reasons for celebration. As this appreciation integrates into your daily routine and functionality you can, and will discover how this process will reinforce positive thinking as well as your capacity to deal with stress.
About the Author:
Using gratitude to reduce stress can become a regular part of your day. Visit the Gratitude Circle Blog for tips for positive thinking and making gratitude an important part of your life. While you're there, claim your free subscription to the Gratitude Circle Newsletter, full of inspiring stories, articles and tips for maintaining a happier, more fulfilling life.
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