When people are stressed and worried, they often try to get their worry thoughts out of their minds.
This never works, but what can work is a little perspective.
There’s no better way to create perspective than humor.
If you have ever taken an improv comedy class, you likely learned the concept of ‘Yes, and …’
In Yes, and […]
Stress and anxiety are all about something bad that could happen that isn’t happening right now.
When you’re tense or anxious, it can help to remind yourself that you’re okay in this moment.
Several times a day, notice that you’re okay.
Relationships can be stressful, even when they’re going well. It doesn’t take much to protect and strengthen relationships but it does take some of your time and caring.
Also, giving to your relationships feels good and encourages others to give to you.
There are many small ways that you can give to others:
In a thunderstorm, you might take shelter from the pelting rain, blowing winds, and deadly lightning strikes.
Taking shelter when you’re stressed, challenged, or upset can help you feel calm and confident that you can safely ride out emotional storms, too.
A refuge from stress can be anything that provides a feeling of safety and comfort: talking […]
When you’re stressed, you tend to get stuck in one worry thought after another. A fun way to get unstuck from a concern is to take the long way around it.
Here’s how to do it.
Describe the stressful thought or worry with a longer, wordier description.
For example, to take the long way around the worry: “What […]
When you’re stressed or worried about something, it’s difficult to think about anything else.
It’s as if your mind is stuck on the stress channel as you think about one stressful thing after another.
Although it’s almost impossible to turn off the stress channel once you’ve turned it on, you can learn to change it by playing […]
Fogging is a simple skill that helps you accept feedback calmly without feeling upset or stressed.
The idea is that there’s a thick, dense fog between you and the other person.
The fog slows the feedback coming at you, like a thick fog would slow a stone if someone threw one at you.
Also, you’re less likely to […]
When you coach yourself, the tone of your self-talk is as important as the words you use.
A harsh, critical tone, even with encouraging words, can increase your stress and hurt your performance.
To see how this works:
When you’re coaching yourself, the tone of your coaching self-talk is as important as the words you use.
Even with encouraging words, a harsh, critical tone can increase your stress and hurt your performance.
When you’re stressed, your mind tends to drift toward doom and gloom.
You can train your mind to tilt toward the positive – or at least toward the neutral – by looking for and spending time with the positive.
It’s not that you’re making a negative into a positive. That’s a bit like looking at the world […]