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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.
The causes of stress can be related to many different factors; however its definition is as a state where an individual is not in balance with his or her surroundings. We have knowledge now that the dissimilation between body and mind is of limited usefulness. Any type of trauma to the body can also affect the mind, just as negative thoughts can affect the body. Experiences of a stressful nature which prompt negative emotions can directly have an affect on body chemistry. In response to threat and stress, the production of hormones and other chemical substances, including adrenalin and cortisol is taken over by the body.
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.
Problems can hang over the things going well, leaving a shadow and distorting perceptions. By learning to recognize those gifts of good fortune can drastically change our perspective. For example, we panic about uncompleted work instead of giving ourselves a pat on the back for our achievements. Especially in situations where stress is of a prolonged nature, it could develop into patterns of automatically jumping to negative conclusions. By focusing on those things that make us happy is quite the technique for disrupting that negative pattern of thinking, and thus reducing stress. It can even give our immune system a boost!
If you are tense, stressed and can't see the wood for the trees, it may initially be hard to identify things to be grateful for. It may take practice, but it can be something as simple as a sunny day or a flower blooming in the garden. At first you will probably rely on hindsight but with time you will find 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.
The causes of stress can be related to many different factors; however its definition is as a state where an individual is not in balance with his or her surroundings. We have knowledge now that the dissimilation between body and mind is of limited usefulness. Any type of trauma to the body can also affect the mind, just as negative thoughts can affect the body. Experiences of a stressful nature which prompt negative emotions can directly have an affect on body chemistry. In response to threat and stress, the production of hormones and other chemical substances, including adrenalin and cortisol is taken over by the body.
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.
Problems can hang over the things going well, leaving a shadow and distorting perceptions. By learning to recognize those gifts of good fortune can drastically change our perspective. For example, we panic about uncompleted work instead of giving ourselves a pat on the back for our achievements. Especially in situations where stress is of a prolonged nature, it could develop into patterns of automatically jumping to negative conclusions. By focusing on those things that make us happy is quite the technique for disrupting that negative pattern of thinking, and thus reducing stress. It can even give our immune system a boost!
If you are tense, stressed and can't see the wood for the trees, it may initially be hard to identify things to be grateful for. It may take practice, but it can be something as simple as a sunny day or a flower blooming in the garden. At first you will probably rely on hindsight but with time you will find 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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