The Upside of Stress

We’ve found a rhythm. But we still worry about our personal and collective well-being. Stress is unavoidable and it can show up in some pretty unflattering ways. But here’s the upside: our stress reveals what’s most important to us and, with a little effort, we can put it to good use. In last week’s NY Times, Kari Leibowitz and Alia Crum offered a simple technique to change how we react to our stress in order to improve our health and outlook.  

Three Easy Steps

Acknowledge Your Stress

Avoiding stress uses tremendous mental exertion that will show up somewhere. I’m worried about my mother’s health. Diving deeper, I realize that I’m anxious about not being able to be there for her if she gets sick.

Own Your Stress

We stress about things we care about. Here’s another opportunity to look further.  I’m stressed about my mother being on her own because I care deeply about her feeling connected and resilient during this crazy time.

Use Your Stress 

Instead of admonishing my mother for going to Trader Joe’s, I can feel confident that she’s taking the right precautions. Then we can use our phone time to chat about things other than coronavirus. 

With a little effort, this strange, stressful time offers a prime opportunity to learn about ourselves and change unhelpful habits and reactions. So rather than dismiss or accept your stress at face value, call it out and have a look.