One of my morning reads offered advice on managing stress. It suggested listing stressful situations survived in the past. Learn from them for dealing with stress in the future.
That’s good advice but the first thing that came to my mind was the tremendous auto accident I survived years ago. I couldn’t think of anything I could have done to survive. One solution was to avoid being in that spot at that moment. But I wasn’t sure how I could have managed that.
I also read a chapter or two of my lasted book quest. This morning I was reading, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping” by Robert M. Sapolsky.
The line that got me laughing this morning was “It’s one of those unexpected emergencies: you’re walking down the street, on your way to meet a friend for dinner. You’re already thinking about what you’d like to eat, savoring your hunger. Come around the corner and—oh no, a lion!”
OH NO, a LION! Now that I can relate to. Some days seemed to be filled with lions around every corner. These funny stories, help us understand our stress response system. Understanding is the first step in conquering an issue. Good read.
Performing under Pressure is another book I’ve referred to many times. The authors, Hendrie Weisinger, and J. P. Pawliw-Fry do a great job of separating stress and from pressure. They offer good advice on dealing with pressure. Their point is to put on your COTE of Armor.
- Confidence
- Optimism
- Tenacity
- Enthusiasm
Tenacity includes Goals, Focus, and New Perspectives among other key issues.
Goals! It seems that when we turn the corner and are facing the lion, our current goals fly out the window. When confronted with a lion, staying focused on your goals reduces stress-related diseases. Our instinct is to run when facing a lion. But maybe we should grab our knife and let out with our best Tarzan scream and go straight at it. If we notice the lion is feasting on its previous prey it has no interest in attacking us. Relax. If we cross the street and take a different route to the watering hole, we can avoid the lion altogether.
Notice how many times the lion prevents you from achieving your goals today.
Is the lion real or imagined?
Is there a way around the lion?
Should you go directly at the lion?
Rather than remembering that car accident, try sticking tenaciously to your goals. You may avoid the lion and reduce some of those stress-related diseases.
