5 ways stress can work for you
Stress doesn’t always have to be negative. The power of that “fight or flight” response can be harnessed to work for you, not against you. And a lot of it depends on how you react. Numerous studies have shown that it’s your mindset about stress – rather than the stress itself – that is damaging. Embrace the stress and turn it to your advantage. Here’s how.
1. Accept it
First and foremost, you need to acknowledge that you aren’t going to be able to live a life without stress. Between work, family, relationships and finances, stress is always going to rear its ugly head. Fighting against it only raises your stress levels. Instead, accept that you feel stressed and that it’s a reasonable response to the situation. That way, you can change your negative attitude towards it and instead treat it as something that just has to be dealt with.
2. Push yourself
Use stress to your advantage and it can help you reach a new personal best. Stress sends extra oxygen and nutrients to the brain and muscles so they can function more effectively. That means that your most stressful time could also be the time to achieve great things. Harness that stress and push yourself forward.
3. Learn from it
Stress can actually stimulate the area of your brain that is responsible for procedural learning. The stress response overpowers the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for overthinking, so you can stop second guessing yourself and improve your skills. This is particularly true for skills that require repetitive practice, such as playing an instrument.
4. Learn about yourself
Very few people actively enjoy stressful situations, especially if they are prolonged or persistent. But you can also use these situations to discover a deeper personal meaning. The most difficult situations in life – such as a chronic illness, relationship breakdown or the death of a family member – can ultimately teach people about themselves. They are forced to draw on inner reserves of strength that they didn’t even know they had, and can make it out the other side a better person.
5. Share it
You don’t need to suffer alone. Sharing your feelings over a situation can help lessen your own burden. Speak to a trusted friend, a family member or a colleague about your problem. Getting it off your chest can make a huge difference to how you feel. Your confidante may also be able to offer helpful suggestions or, even if they just lend a sympathetic ear, you can come out of it with a stronger relationship.
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