How to Overcome Stress

A ton of my inspiration and motivation for the blog comes from different podcasts or speakers that I have heard or books I have read. I feel like I learn a lot about myself and what I am feeling when I listen to other people. I can really identify with what they are saying and it helps me grow and overcome whatever challenges I may be facing.

With so much change and uncertainty happening in my life right now I tend to revert to my natural tendency of feeling/saying "Im so stressed... I have so much to do..." basically same song different verse every time something new comes my way. Any kind of change or new challenge in my life tends to "stress me out". So, I finally realized this and got tired of repeating the same process. Just because my situation changes, or I don't have control, doesn't mean I should stress for no reason. I realized I want to do my best to maintain a peaceful, calm, and level environment so that I can thrive instead of "get through it". Change is what helps us make progress and move forward!

I listened to Lewis Howes' podcast episode with Chris Lee which could not have come at a better time! It completely changed the way I think and made me become more aware of my reactions to certain situations! Chris Lee is a transformational facilitator and coach as well as an author. In the episode Chris talks about how to "overcome your stress" and achieve a neutral mindset. This intrigued me because I had always thought stress just happened and there is nothing you can do to "overcome" it... Well I was wrong.

Chris has 3 steps to overcome your stress and in my opinion they are spot on and so easy! I really couldn't believe I hadn't heard of this sooner.

Step 1: First, is to understand what environment you want to create. Understand your vision. For me, I want to create an environment of peace and positivity. I want to be level headed and peaceful no matter what and avoid getting irritated.

Step 2: Second, is identifying your triggers. For me this was so easy because the common source of my stress is change. No matter what I'm doing- travel, scheduling plans or really anything; if something goes differently than I had anticipated, I tend to perceive it as negative. By identifying this I am able to be aware in these types of situations and then overcome my trigger by following step 3.

Step 3: Finally, replace your trigger with something else. Find another energy to replace your "stress". You can do this by using affirmations to maintain a neutral state. So I would use something like "I am the queen of peace and positivity." I know it sounds crazy but Chris explained that by saying something kind of extreme, we take ourselves out of the mindset we are in and begin to make a positive shift. You can also replace your trigger by writing down how you feel about a situation, then writing down how you WANT to feel. I find this to be extremely helpful because it puts a positive spin on your situation. You address your current state and then make an effort to shift positively.

I love that Chris addresses taking ownership of your response. Just because we feel negatively in the moment, doesn't mean we can't do anything about that feeling moving forward. For me, it is so important to take steps to think positively everyday. I feel so much better and am way more productive when I make an effort to see the best in situations. I am able to accomplish so much more when I feel happy and peaceful with a neutral mindset. Listen to his podcast and let me know what you think! Its worth it I promise!