5 Steps to Make Stress Your Best Friend
You probably think I'm wacko, but it's true - stress can be your
best friend! Stress is actually a positive experience to be
channeled to improve your life.
For instance, let me tell you about a small moment of stress I faced
a few minutes ago.
Just before I boarded my flight from Phoenix to Seattle, I was
talking to my husband Wade on my cell phone. Toward the end of our
conversation, he told me how someone had commented on how the kids
are dressed better when I'm around.
Now, I already know some of the things he's taken the kids to church
in.....YIKES!
But, then he proceeds to tell me how Maegan had syrup in her hair,
and it was all tangled, and he couldn't brush it out; so he took her
over to the baby sitter that way anyway (uh-oh).
When he picked her up, they said they were going to do swimming the
next day, so he took her back the next day the same way so the
swimming could wash it out!!!
I about DIED!
No wonder they commented!!!!!
Now, to me, that is definitely a moment of stress!
But did you know that I gave me an opportunity to make my life and
Maegan's life better?
Here, let me walk you through it.
How did I feel when I hear this story? I felt a little angry,
embarrassed, frustrated, incredulous, shocked...
But did you know that it is a good thing that I felt that way? It
is a good thing because it meant that it was going to cause some
action.
Now, I could do a harmful type reaction and have an argument with
husband, never go on a trip again, etc
or....I can use that emotion to think of a solution so that it
doesn't happen again.
Which is precisely what I did.
First, I explained to my husband how to brush a girls long hair. It
never occurred to me that I was the only one brushing her hair - and
being a girl with long hair, it never occurred to me that someone
would start brushing it from top on down! No wonder he could never
get the tangles out. So, now he knows to start at the bottom and
work his way up.
Secondly, I explained to him that when syrup is in the hair, you
HAVE TO WASH IT! I don't know if he was waiting for it to
deteriorate :-), or if he thought it would rub off on her pillow :-)
or what......it's probably best I DON'T know what he thought! But
anyway....
Thirdly, I explained how I washed her hair. Actually, as I right
this, it is soooo hard NOT to laugh. I mean, for the moment our
first two boys were born, Wade's done everything in taking care of
them. And I guess he did for Maegan too, until her hair started
getting long. Who would have known that a little hair could scare
such a big, strong guy so much?
But, in a way, I do understand. Her head is sensitive from her
cranial surgery, and he is particularly sensitive to his daughter.
If she says "oww", he can't tell if it's real or not. I guess
that's a mom thing.
Anyway - after I went through all of that, I told him when he needed
to brush her hair and how often he had to wash it.
I just created a system so that the next time I'm on a trip, she
will look great, he won't feel lost, and I won't be embarrassed.
If you look at ANY situation in life, you can go through the same
process. You can face a stimulus, negatively re-act, or creatively
solve.
What is in your life right now, this very second, that you are
stressed about? Are you just ignoring it, hoping that it will go
away? Are you trying to cover it up with eating, or are you
suffering physically by lack of sleep from worry and insomnia?
Here's five steps to put your subconscious out of commission and use
your conscious mind to use the stress to improve your life:
1. Write down what is stressing you
2. Write down how it makes you feel
3. Write down what is good about it and what is bad about it
4. Write down what you would do differently knowing what you know
now
5. Write a plan of what you can do or put in place so that it won't
happen again or so that you'll have a positive outcome next time
Stress can be your friend. Without it, you'll never be motivated to
make a change for the better. And, it will NEVER go away. Life
will never reach the point where everything goes great all the time.
And don't forget to teach this to your kids! They can have such an
advantage in life to learn now how to positively channel negative
experience into an opportunity for growth.
You can do the written exercise with them - or hey, you can even do
it while cooking!
Show them:
*how chaos is turned to order
*that hurrying or making yourself slow down makes something great
*how beating and stirring and molding makes it into something better
*how a recipe "flog" is now an analyzing opportunity to make it
better the next time
You'll be teaching them really valuable important life skills and
they'll be having the time of their life doing it!
Laura Bankston is author of Internationally selling Cooking with
Kids Curriculum: "Homeschool Cooking in a Box" and the "Homeschool
Cookbook". She currently home schools her three children, maintains
home school support websites, and manages their family-owned service
business. For information on her curriculum visit
http://www.homeschoolcookbook.com . For free homeschool resources,
visit http://www.homeschoolinglibrary.com .
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