Say goodbye to stress, and hello to success: Identify Sources Of Stress

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Markus Wilcox, One of Thousands of Christian Coaches on Noomii.

Do you suffer from stress? Do you have problems dealing with stress? Is stress holding you back? For the average person, they will answer “yes” or “maybe” to all three of those questions. In these times, all of us could use a little stress relief. Besides the health benefits and general well being – stress can be a major roadblock to SUCCESS. If you have too much stress, and can’t deal with it properly then you will have problems reaching the level of success you want to attain.

Everybody has some level of stress in their lives. It’s a fact of life – we all have bills to pay and obligations to take care of. Much of the time it seems that there is nothing we can do to halt the occasional patterns of panic that come into our daily existence. After all, the saying is that nothing in life is guaranteed but death and taxes, and neither of those subjects are good for stress levels.

This “I’m not in control” attitude is the source of much of the stress that comes at us in our every day lives. The fact of the matter is that there is a great deal of control we have when it comes to dealing with the stress that is born from our obligations. Maybe you can’t change the fact that you have to pay taxes, but the attitude you take toward the managing of your money can have a lot to do with the way that your body reacts to these challenges of life.

One of the ways that you can start taking charge of your stress is by identifying the major causes of it and what makes you feel unhappy or out of control. While this might seem like an obvious part of the process, the exact causes of your stress are usually a little more nuanced. Everybody on the planet worries about money and finances to some degree, but your particular concerns in this arena are unique. Once you understand what aspects of finance are causing you stress, you can take concrete steps toward reducing that stress and managing it appropriately.

In order to understand the true sources of your stress, it helps to sit back and examine your natural excuses, habits, and attitudes that crop up when you’re exposed to stress. Understanding your reactions is key to managing stress levels.

For example, when faced with stress, do you have a tendency to explain it away as a “temporary” state, even though you can’t remember the last time you really took a break and stepped away from your work and obligations to relax? Do you explain it away as part of your normal behavior (“I’m highly-strung”) or just as a natural part of life (“my life is always busy and crazy”)?

These are common ways that individuals try and explain away their stress. The problem with these coping mechanisms is that they minimize the problems at hand. In a way, saying that high stress levels is just “how you are” or “how it is at the moment” or “how it always is” does nothing to mitigate the amount of stress you hold. All it does is put the fact that you are stressed on the back burner and puts you in a position of permanently not being in control of your life or your reactions to tough situations.

The truth of the matter is that you are in control! Identify your stress sources and then take active steps toward dealing with stress in a more responsible, proactive manner and you’ll be much happier.