Why Do I Feel Stressed?
Here is your answer to one the most basic questions about stress!
We’re hard wired for survival – thus we are reactionary creatures.
You don’t even need to tell yourself to react, your body will do it for you.
Your body will do things for you even when you don’t want it to!
Beet face.
Armpit sweat.
Balloon-like head pressure.
“No! No! No! Not again!”
Your body loves to react!
If you haven’t built the skills to combat stress you’ll feel defeated on the regular.
The Stressful Scenarios
When you get an angry call for a client, your spouse, or your mother your body will immediately go into self-defense mode.
If you ripped your pants in public you will immediately feel a warm facial flush of embarrassment.
When you are asked to provide a special toast to thank your guests at your birthday dinner you will wish you could be invisible.
This is the fate of most people - unless they were born with unshakeable self-confidence!
Or, if they have the right tools in their anti-stress toolkit!
“You Are Not the Voice in Your Head, But the One Aware of It” - Eckhart Tole
Stress is something we’re born to experience, but no one teaches us how to manage it!
Math, science, languages and history are the foundational courses of our youth – but few people are taught the very essential lessons of stress management!
The Body Response
I can predict your first reaction to your boss calling you into their office out of the blue.
For 99% of people, their heart beat will increase, their face will turn an embarrassing shade of red and their hands will start to shake. You may even go as far as to feel nauseous, faint, hyperventilate, and lose sensation in your fingertips.
These are physiologic responses to stress.
Those reactions are caused by stress hormones that are automatically released when we unconsciously detect stress.
Our stress hormones are usually called adrenaline or cortisol.
These hormones make you want to shrink down and take cover or get up and bolt away.
The hormone release and effects are so quick that unless you’ve learned trained yourself to be aware, present and in control - you will be victim to your unconscious.
A clam closes it’s shell when tapped on – by anything - to prevent being eaten by a hungry seagull.
The difference between you and a clam is that you are blessed with the ability to distinguish between a real threat to your life and something that is not life threatening.
The Brain Response
Not only can I predict the way your body will react, but I can also predict what is going to go on in your mind.
You may find your ability to put together coherent thoughts slip as you start to imagine worst case scenarios. Your thoughts will be consumed only of what is about to happen.
Your thoughts are in the realm of being fired… found negligent…accused of stealing your co-workers lunch.
You’ll worry about being left without a way to support yourself, you’ll be thrown in jail, you’ll endure ridicule and no one will ever take you seriously ever again.
You may have a fleeting thought of something positive – maybe it’s a promotion?
No, no. It couldn’t be a promotion, and even if it was you’re not ready for more responsibility! You’ll ruin the company! You want to stay in your current role where you feel secure!
You’d rather quit than take a promotion!
You can’t handle an ounce more stress!
Why you? Why you? Why you?
The Reality
After all of the stress of imagining what the meeting could possibly be about.
You will sit down with your boss and a scenario will play out.
Whatever the discussion is that follows - your body will react either positively or negatively.
Let’s imagine it’s a worst case scenario.
You are let go on the spot and told you have ten minutes to pack your things and be escorted out by security.
What would you rather feel?
A) relief
B) devastation
Would you rather think:
A) What a blessing to be let go because there are endless possibilities!
B) This was the only thing I had going for me! I’m a failure who will never be hired by anyone ever again! I have no one and nothing!
The Stress Solution
What if you could always feel the positive emotion rather than the negative emotion?
What if you could always have the positive thought rather than the negative thought?
What if from the moment you were told your boss wanted to see you in their office you were able to feel calm and at peace rather than smothered by your stress?
You can feel more centered and less stressed in every situation!
You do not have to be a victim to your hormones and automatic thoughts! Hop into the driver’s seat!
Want to learn how to conquer your stress and fill your life with happy hormones and empowering thoughts?
To get start you’ll want to pick up a copy of my Stressed to Centered guide here immediately to learn more!
