Feel everyday pressures are taking over from the good things in life? There is some easy ways to redress the balance The stress reaction follows a standard sequence. First, the trigger or “activating event”. Next, your “beliefs” about it, which send signals to the body to create the “consequence”, also known as the “fight-or-flight response” – that surge of hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, which raises heart rate and blood pressure, and releases glucose. ● Thinking of the three steps as an acronym, ABC, can help remember the sequence.

1. Change your thinking, change your stress level
Feel everydaypressuresare taking overfromthe goodthingsinlife? There issome easyways to redress
the balance
Thestress reactionfollowsastandardsequence.
First, the trigger or “activating event”.Next, your “beliefs” about it, which send signals to the body to
create the “consequence”, also known as the “fight-or-flight response” – that surge of hormones,
adrenaline and cortisol, which raises heart rate and blood pressure, and releases glucose.

2. ● Thinking of the three steps as an acronym, ABC, can help remember the sequence.
Nowunpickthe subconsciousbeliefsthatarecausingyourstressedfeeling.
Think back over recent stressy moments and identify your trigger. A massive row between your two
teenage kids this morning? Ignored by a shop assistant while you stood around feeling stupid? How
did you feel? Perhaps upset and somehow responsible during the family row? Angry and humiliated
as you stood around in the shop. Next, go deeper.
What is the hidden belief underpinning those feelings? “My family should always get along.” “I’m
responsible forkeepingeveryone happy.” “I’minvisible.” “I should never be ignored.” These are your
stress-inducingthoughts.We all carry beliefsthat are self-defeatingand impossible to live up to – and
it’s these, not the small stuff of life that cause the stress surge.
● Stress-inducingthoughts oftenbeginwith“Imust”and “I should”.“Imust findsolutionstoeveryone’s
problems.” “My house should always be clean and tidy.” “Life should go smoothly.”
Nowidentifyalternative,stress-alleviatingthoughts,to counterthem.
Examples could be “I can support my teenagers to find solutions, I don’t have to find solutions for
them.” Or “A situation is rarely 100 per cent my fault – or anyone else’s.”
● Try stepping back to ask: “Will this matter in an hour? A week? A month?”
These quick tips to counter stress
Smile… to loweryourheartrate
It may sound crazy but there’s evidence that changing your facial expression really can alter stress
levels. Research where two groups were given short but stressful tasks to complete – but one group
was asked to smile throughout – foundthe smilersexperiencedlower levels of stress and lower heart
rates. Good for confounding anyone who may have hoped to unsettle you!
Thinkthis… to avoida meltdown
A modern alternative to the count-to-ten rule, this simple mantra from brain-training expert and
health psychologist Laurel Mellin is a damage-control tool for the most testing times. If you feel on
the verge of a stress meltdown, repeat the following phrases in your mind ten times to calm you and
regain control: “donot judge” (that’s yourself or others), “minimise harm” (eg, don’t lash out or react
badly on impulse), “know it will pass.”

3. Braindump… to switchof
Our tech devices are brilliant for the flexibility to keep tabs on work wherever we are, but the other
side is that carrying our work around with us, dipping in and out, checking emails and never putting
anything down wires us to feel stressed. A good practice is to decide when your working day will end
(particularly if it’s out-of-office hours) and take five minutes to jot down all work-related thoughts,
the tasks you didn’t tackle, ideas you’re mulling over. When five minutes is up, leave it behind.
Light touch… to still a whirringbrain
Try this at night if you wake with thoughts spinning around your mind. Close your eyes and, using the
tips of your fingers with two hands, lightly touch two points just above your eyebrows. These areas
activate reflexes that bring more blood to your frontal lobes. Focus on the issue that’s causing
distress, recalling as much detail as you can, still touching these points. Notice the negative feelings
become harder to hold on to and gradually fade. When you open your eyes, you should feel
rebalanced.
Source: http://www.irwand.info
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