Coping with Stress

Everyone experiences stress, and everyone needs a method for coping with stress. That to me couldn't be more true -- especially in today's fast-paced business world.

The truth is that some stress is good for us. It helps us to excel at our jobs and achieve our dreams.

It can also helps us to survive if we need to flee from danger.

In order to get a more detailed understanding of stress, it is definitely important to understand the fight or flight response.

What is the fight or flight response?

The negative impacts from stress can really affect your life if left unchecked.

In my own life I was in my early twenties when I started working as a professional. I worked incredibly hard and had achieved the goals that I had set out for myself financially as well as my own personal career goals.

There was a problem though. I hadn't actually learned how to deal with the stressors at work.

A little while later I had started to experience panic attacks regularly. While I don't know how much of an impact stress had on causing my panic attacks, I certainly know it didn't help.

Learning to cope with stress and how to manage it was a key component for me in becoming panic attack free.

I invested a lot of time into reading and researching methods and techniques for managing stress and developing true relaxation.

My favorite authors and books include Hale Dwoskin (author of the Sedona Method), Dr. Herbert Benson (author of the Relaxation Response) and Dr. David Posen (author of Always Change a Losing Game).

Of the hundreds of books I read, those three authors really resonated with me, and I still enjoy reading their books to this day.

In addition to reading and research, I did a lot of soul-searching and had a good look at my life.

I was starting to see how stress was playing a part in it, and how some of my own behaviors were causing it.

I had done all of this research after having been exposed to it through counseling, and it just further reinforced the techniques that I had learned in therapy.


Here are some examples of things that I learned about myself in regards to stress:

  • that I was putting a lot more pressure on myself than necessary
  • that being "busy" was not necessarily being effective
  • that it was always good to keep things in perspective
  • Telling myself that I enjoyed something (even something tedious, that I didn't necessarily like doing, but had to do it) was a good way of relieving and letting go of stress
  • that it was possible to relax and really establish a feeling of peace in my daily life
  • that I was not focusing enough on all of the positive aspects of my life and all of the things I had to be grateful for


    I then began to make some changes in my life:

  • Scheduled time to relax
  • Practiced relaxation techniques three times daily (approx. 15 minutes each time)
  • Thought of three things that I was thankful for each morning when I woke up
  • Watched the evening news only once per week (instead of each day)
  • Checked personal email less frequently
  • Stopped surfing the internet before bedtime and instead relaxed by reading a humorous book or doing relaxation techniques
  • I took some courses on how to be more effective with scheduling and organization
  • learned the Sedona Method
  • If I watched television I would do my best to watch programs that were either uplifting or really funny.
  • I stopped drinking caffeinated coffee and learned to enjoy decaffeinated coffee.
  • I did my best to "lighten up" and develop a sense of humor.

    Those are some examples of lifestyle changes that I had made as a result of working with my counselor and doing some recommended reading that was suggested by her.

    The changes implemented have really helped me a lot in coping with stress and ultimately I believe have helped in becoming panic attack free.

    Having said that, each person's requirements and what will work best for them will be unique.

    Try and find what works best for you. Talk to your doctor and health care professionals and see what resources they may recommend for you.

    All of those recommended changes in my life really made my life more fulfilling. I now enjoy greater productivity in my career, better relationships, and really enjoy being panic attack free. I am very grateful.

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