Stress Management (2 of 2) 4/29/09

Some of the more common techniques for coping w/ anxiety include meditation, thought stopping, reframing techniques.  They work!  But only if you work them!  I learned early on that knowing and doing are VERY different, and you can be the smartest person in the world, but if you don’t practice, use your ‘tools’ then you will be smart and stressed!  I used to hate hearing “breathe!”  But you know what, when I became a therapist and no one would ever do it either when I suggested it, I started to have them do it with me, and not only did they learn that it does work, but it made both of us feel more calm immediately.  Take a deep breath right now!  Do it!  It is not the answer, or the only answer, but it is a great first step.  When you are feeling overwhelmed, panicked, stressed, worried, you cannot take a first step of action until you can breath!  So do it!  Then the thoughts will come a bit more easily, the steps might be more clear, because you took the time to do for yourself what you needed.  It is hard to see the forest for the trees sometimes but we do have the answers if we can take the time/effort to see them!  At the times when you feel least like you could/should take time for YOU, that is exactly when you NEED to.  We waste SO much time worrying, not sleeping, ruminating, that when you really look at it, it would be much more time efficient to take a breath, do yoga for an hour or something, THEN face the problem, sleep on it and it will be easier to find the right (balanced) solution!  I have SO many more ideas, words of wisdom, books, techniques, easy ‘how to’s’ but it all comes down to taking a step!  Making a change.  If your mind is out of shape, out of balance and has too much room for worry to seep in, you must make one small change at a time to take back that control, get it back in shape and then no matter what internal or external circumstance is going on around you, it will not seem so daunting!  Hard to believe, yes.  Hard to do, sometimes.  Impossible, not at all!  I know, because I am a huge worrier, and have faced and done all that I have just suggested.  It works most of the time when I am willing to work with it (and myself) instead of against myself and resist my thoughts/feelings.  What we resist persists………very profound statement!  What you struggle against you will keep re-creating!  So, now, my favorite Dr. Phil question:  How’s that working for you????