Motivator

Stress is not intended as a negative; it is a positive force that motivates change.

Eustress

Eustress can be beneficial to our health as it provides us with the motivation we need to make the changes that we desire.

We become very productive when we challenge ourselves. We have all experienced the pleasure of getting 'the job done', even though at the time we have experienced a level of stress at the time.

We all know what negative stress feels like and the aim is to ensure that stress does not become persistent and accumulative and become acute. 

Stress can motivational, but it can go into overdrive, which is distressful. 

Distress

When stress accumulates, and tension builds, the pleasure in attaining our outcome is reduced. When we start to feel we have lost control of any situation anxiety start is generated. What may have previously been viewed as a productive challenge starts to feel restrictive causing us to feel distressed.

It is unrelenting stressful situations that lead to distress. We all have our own story regarding this type of stress. We need to be careful not to act impulsively at stressful times, distress affects our decision making.

 at a time when clarity of mind is required.

When we manage stress it maintains its protective status.

Emotional Accumulation

It is repressed internal stress from difficult life situations that reduce our ability to function at an optimum level. We don't automatically stop thinking about something because it causes us to be stressed/anxious. So we need to counteract unproductive thoughts in an uncomplicated way.

When we push stressful thoughts away, it is important to remember that the emotional connection does not disappear. Emotions accumulate, one negative belief pattern can connect to another building an ineffective mindset contributing to the states known as stress, anxiety and depression.

Dormant Stress

PTSD post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder which can develop when people are severely harmed or experience something extremely upsetting. Our projection of life can then become distorted.

Post Traumatic Stress can happen at any time after a disturbing event, even years after.

Stress that is persistent and accumulative can become chronic.

Chronic stress leads to severe mental and physical health problems due to sustained high levels of the chemicals released in the 'fight or flight' response.

This doesn't mean we have to view stress with fear; we need to recognise that it is not to be ignored. 

• We can build our lifestyle around stress reduction.
• We can increase our levels of emotional resilience. 
• We aim to manage stress on an ongoing basis to ensure that it does not inadvertently become chronic. 

Research has shown that we need a moderate level of stress to enable us to perform better. 

A moderate level of stress can be optimal.

Focusing our energy forward in a positive manner even with a 'fake it till we make it' mentality releases a new intent. When we do this, we have activated a new desire for change. We can build on this desire and establish hope. A moderate level of stress is required to enable us to push ourselves forward into our own lives. 

Stress is a motivator for positive and productive change.             

We can use stress in a positive way by being accountable for how we respond to stressful situations and everyday challenges. 

Stress management is a lifestyle, not a single event.

Building our emotional resilience to enable us to manage stress effectively can be viewed as a specific form of psychological intervention. 

External events and internal perceptions challenge our vision of the desired outcome.

Learning new skills that allow us to become more confident and competent help us to respond to the demands of life and the challenges we place on ourselves, so we can live life that resonates with our real sense of self. 

We have inbuilt forms of stress regulation. 

Crying is a natural response to the stresses of life.

Crying is a form of emotional relief. 

We often feel that we need to stop crying, that it is negative, but this is not true; it is an emotional and physical relief. 

There are stress hormones in tears and crying is an effective way to release them.  

There are stress hormones in tears and crying is an effective way to release them. When we are discouraged from crying we do not release stress chemicals, which impacts our wellness and recovery potential. The negative impact of emotional repression is well documented. 

We may feel things are bad when we cry, but it could also be viewed as a sign that things are getting better. 

The relief from crying can provide us with the clarity and energy we need to move forward productively. 

Positive thinking is a way to generate change proactively.

When are feeling down or depressed, we may find it difficult to motivate ourselves in the direction of positive progressive change, especially when feelings of hopelessness are present. 

We can influence how life affects us because we do have control.

While it is natural to consider the effects that certain outcomes have on our lives, we also need to ensure that we maintain our ability to be self-supportive by searching for a way to be uplifted and progressive. 

Let us remember that conflict can be the starting point of personal and professional growth. We can counteract unproductive thoughts and build a better vision of our future.

When we realise how effective we can be at generating change, we become very selective about our thinking and the actions we choose to take.

We can maximise recovery by utilising not only the external modes of wellness such as psychotherapy, yoga, and acupuncture to name but a few but by also optimising the internal resources available to us all.

Life is full of opportunities; we may need to change our perception to see them. 

American Psychological Association

'Chronic Stress can seriously damage the immune system.'

Vulnerability 

Researches say that chronic stress not only makes people more vulnerable to catching illnesses but can also impair their immune system's ability to respond to its anti-inflammatory signals that are triggered by certain hormones, possibly altering the course of an inflammatory disease.

'It may increase susceptibility to inflammatory disease such as allergic, autoimmune or cardiovascular disease.' 

When we fail to recognise that the state of our mind affects our body, we may leave harmful emotional content unattended, causing internal damage, leading to aches, pains, illness and disease.

Dis-identification 

Dis-identifying with what is happening may leave us feeling powerless, especially when we think we have no control over the outcome of a particular situation or physical/emotional state. We naturally push thoughts away especially when traumatic events conflict them.  

Support 

We can aim to be aware of and control our negative thinking and attain the appropriate support to help us to deal with extreme emotional challenges.

Fortunately 

The body and mind do not remain constant - it is changeable, manageable, and unified.

Dealing with stress doesn't have to be stressful.

Perception depends on the complex functions of the nervous system but subjectively seems mostly effortless because the process happens outside of conscious awareness. 

When we think about our life, past, present and or future we may feel that we are in a dream-like state; we may realise that we are thinking about something before we were aware that we had given it a thought. 

When we think differently, we respond differently.

Thinking changes perception and it changes our physiology.

Thinking is never just thinking it is touching, tasting, smelling, hearing. It is living from mind to body and body to mind.