“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”– William James
My favorite place is on our back terrace at home. No matter how stressed I “think” I am (smile), I can always find solace in this space. Somehow it seems easier to choose thoughts of peace when I am here.
I also subscribe to a few newsletters that I receive each week because they inspire me and help me to gain perspective. One that I was reading this week was a newsletter from “Next Avenue”. In the particular edition that I was reading, there was an article about “3 Ways to Handle ‘Post-Election Stress Disorder’. I know the current US Presidential election is having an affect on so many of us; so I was drawn to read the full article. I found it so interesting that I wanted to share it with you (see below for the full article). Of course, the focus was on dealing with the election results but the words of Michelle Kinder, the author, seem to apply to any topic that affects our capacity to deal with uncertainty. The 3 tips that Kinder mentions are (I feel) so important:
1. Nurture relationships- To buffer the stress that comes with these uncertain times, we need a few key relationships in our lives that allow us to speak truth, express confusion, laugh and exhale — relationships that remind us who we are and what ultimately matters.
2. Pay attention to narrative- One of the most important concepts we work with is that there’s a difference between what happens to you and the story you tell yourself about it. In fact, the latter — the narrative you develop about your circumstances — can be much more important than the former.
3. Zoom out – Perspective-taking helps reduce stress because it counteracts our very human tendency to over-focus on specific problems.
If we were to apply these tips, I feel that we would be able to find more peace in our lives and, perhaps, “show up” as our best selves.
Are you bringing your best self to the table? Are you finding peace in your life?
I’d love to hear from you at docbeverly@aol.com about your thoughts. I truly would.
Beverly