Stress and Bad Attitudes
Many people don’t realize the huge role that a bad attitude plays on their stress levels. Bad attitudes create stress, and stress can create bad attitudes - not to mention a multitude of additional health problems.
When we have bad attitudes, we don’t see things as clearly as we do when we have positive attitudes. This inability to see things from the proper prospective often makes our difficult situations worse, which creates stress. Additionally, the more stress we experience, the worse that bad attitude is likely to become, which creates even more stress - it is a vicious cycle.
We can, however, break the cycle in two steps. First, create a positive attitude - no matter how bad the situation may seem, try to look at it with a positive attitude. Think about how good it will feel to be past the situation. Get it fixed in your mind that you will solve the problem, or improve the situation one way or another - even if you don’t have a clue what that solution will be at this point. Give yourself a positive self talk, and assure yourself that you are okay, and the world is not going to end over this problem - life will go on.
Once you’ve started at least trying to have a positive attitude, start reducing your stress levels. This can be done even if you still don’t have a solution for the problem or situation - however, it will be very hard to reduce stress if you aren’t at least trying to be positive.
There are many ways to reduce stress. Physical exercise is one of the most effective ways. Try to get at least thirty minutes of strenuous exercise three times a week. On the days that you aren’t working out, try some deep breathing techniques and meditation. Also employ some visualization exercises - picture yourself relaxed at a time and place when you are past the situation at hand. See yourself the in the minute the problem is solved, and visualize how happy and relieved you will be to be done with it.
The combination of deep breathing, meditation, exercise, and visualization, preceded by the decision to have a positive attitude, will enable you to de-stress and get things into the proper perspective to work through the problems at hand.
