Rewiring the Brain for Effective Stress Release Techniques

It may be considered natural to think of stress as something brought on by a host of factors which exist outside of a person. Let it be known, however, that this couldn’t be further from the truth. We are directly responsible for the stress we encounter and all the associated feelings that come with it.

Stress actually originates in the ways we respond to life situations and our environment. Granted all types of stress are not bad per se – in fact, a good dose of stress can save your life in a dangerous situation. For instance when you find your adrenaline kicking in at just the right moment to hurl yourself out of the way of a speeding car. But what happens when you habitually allow yourself to be put under stress even when there’s absolutely no need to defend or protect yourself?

This is where the vital skill of effective stress management makes so much sense. You have to learn how to switch off the tendency to become stressed unnecessarily and relax more. So from now on if you’re stuck in a traffic jam, or you’re having problems in a relationship, you’ll know how to apply the brakes before things spiral out of control. You are the one in control, and life doesn’t run away with your blood pressure nor give you a headache.

Learn which kinds of thinking bring about stress

Perhaps you’re dealing with thoughts which bring you no benefit, but instead cause you to worry excessively. And this state of constant worry allows stress hormones to run a rampage in your body. As mentioned before if you’re faced with a genuine ‘fight or flight’ scenario, this is perfectly normal. But if you are on a tight deadline at work it should never be the cause of such worry that leads to stress.

By taking a back seat and looking into the way you think you will gain remarkable insights into which particular thoughts are guilty of triggering undue stress. There are certain words we all use sometimes which make our thoughts too rigid and quickly lead us down the path of negativity. Words like ‘must’ and ‘should’ can cause us to worry in no time at all. The same goes for their opposites: ‘must not’ and ‘should not’. Train yourself to ease up on using and focusing too heavily on words like these.

Self-inflicted stress

Another common habit and one which can never be to your benefit, is that of looking for the worst turn in any situation. Some people stand by the attitude that you should always expect the worst. This is nothing but a recipe for self-inflicted stress. And without realising it even the pettiest of problems seem like a world ending event is about to take place. Stop doing this to yourself and avoid creating mountains out of molehills.

Life is complex and complicated, yet many people insist on trying to oversimplify their understanding. This too leads to an inflexible way of thinking which brings about the severe apprehension of things not complying with fixed ‘norms’. If you only ever view the world and life in terms of right and wrong, for example, you will always end up feeling disappointed. The very thought of this can be highly stressful. Keep an open mind and allow for both the weird and wonderful nuances life is apt to throw at you.

Sometimes all it takes is a fresh look at a familiar situation to alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety. Perception is the gateway to understanding, and if this gateway is corrupt,then any ensuing thoughts regarding a subject will be spoiled as well. Negative thoughts, which are also to blame for high levels of stress, come from having a negative outlook to begin with. So it’s certainly time to start transforming those to positive and nurturing thoughts as best as you can.