The best stress management techniques keep you from feeling stressed out in the first place. Positive thinking can prevent anxiety as well as getting rid of stress even if you are not able to head it off. You can use positive thoughts anytime and anywhere. They are a simple but powerful weapon to stop stress.
Causes
Stress is caused by situations that trigger your "fight or flight" response, the Help Guide mental health resource site explains. Your body responds to perceived threats by preparing to battle or flee. You may get stressed out about work issues, difficult schoolwork, family conflicts or anything else that poses a physical or mental challenge.
Symptoms
Stress affects your body physically by increasing your heartbeat and respiration and causing your muscles to tense. Mentally your thoughts will race and your mind will lock on whatever is causing your worry. Health Guide warns you may slip into negative thinking. You'll feel angry, upset or irritable and you may think your situation is hopeless. This will impede your ability to deal with it successfully.
Prevention
Positive thinking can prevent stress by mentally inoculating your against many worries and fears. Help Guide explains it's possible to control your thoughts and your reaction to stressful situations. Healthy reactions include finding a way to take charge of a stressful situation or finding an effective way to react if you cannot control it.
Positive thinking reminds you of your strengths and reinforces your self esteem. You can start the day with positive affirmations that put you in the right frame of mind. For example, you can repeat statements like "I am a smart, competent person. I have no reason to worry. I can handle any challenges that come my way today," when you wake up. Catch yourself if you start to feel stressed and remind yourself that worry is a waste of energy. For example, if your supervisor says she wants to see you after lunch, fight fear with thoughts like, "I know I do a good job. I don't have to worry because I can handle whatever my supervisor says. Even if I lose my job, I know I am good enough to find a new one."
Solution
Positive thinking can work even if you allow yourself to get stressed out. The Mayo Clinic warns you may slip into negative self-talk instead of thinking positively as an automatic reaction. Catch yourself with a mental cue like a red stop light or stop sign and immediately redirect yourself to a positive outlook. Psychologists Mark Dombeck and Jolyn Wells-Moran of the Mental Help website state you can use a rubber band on your wrist instead of a symbol in your mind. Snap it when you catch yourself losing a positive outlook.
Assistance
It is sometimes difficult to fight stress with positive thinking if you are not used to using that technique. You may also feel too overwhelmed to focus on positive thoughts because stress can hurt concentration. A cognitive/behavioral counselor can teach you specific positive thinking techniques for stress management. Choose a licensed counselor experienced in handling clients with stress issues.
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