Are You Creating Your Own Stress?

Feeling stressed lately? Is it possible that you’re creating some of this stress for yourself? Hold on, now. Before you get defensive, trust me, I know that there are plenty of reasons to be stressed, and many of them are completely out of your control. You’ve got bills to pay, kids to care for, and lots and lots of work to be done. I know. I get it. The thing is, though, that sometimes, we heap more stress on top of these things, making it even more difficult to find joy and peace.

If there was a way to eliminate just some of this stress from your life, wouldn’t you try it? Of course you would! What if I told you that there’s a way to learn how to treat anxiety that requires no special equipment, no pills, and no major life change? Would you think it sounded too good to be true. Well, the truth is, all you really need to do to get rid of a significant amount of stress in your life is to change your mindset.

Now, no one said that it’s an easy fix. Changing thought patterns that have been ingrained for years, maybe decades, takes practice. But the good news is that it’s a proactive solution, and it’s a lot less painful than figuring out how to deal with stress once it’s become completely overwhelming.

Here are some of the thoughts that you need to throw out today in order to stop creating your own stress.

1. I can’t make mistakes.
Every human being walking this Earth is fallible. We all make mistakes. We will all continue to make mistakes until our last breath. It’s a fact. The sooner you accept that fact, the happier and less stressed you will feel. All anyone can do is live life to the fullest and learn from our mistakes when we inevitably make them. If you set unreachable expectations for yourself, then you’re bound to be disappointed.

2. I have to do what everyone asks me to do.
You are a free human being. You have choices. No one can tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. Not your parents. Not your spouse. Not your kids or your friends. Focus on pleasing yourself first, and get rid of the notion that this is a selfish practice. The happier you are, the happier everyone else around you will be as a result. Plus, it’s true what they say—you can’t please everybody.

3. Feeling depressed means I’m a failure.
Everyone gets down in the dumps sometimes. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It means you’re human. Depression can also be a great teacher. Listen to it, and let it tell you what changes you need to make in order to learn how to deal with stress effectively so that you can be free to enjoy your life.

As you look for ways to learn how to deal with stress and how to treat anxiety, don’t forget to look within. And don’t feel bad if you find that you have in fact been making life more stressful than it has to be. After all, if you’re part of the problem, that means you’re part of the solution as well.