DON'T Lower Stress: My Controversial opinion on Stress & Overwhelm!
Controversial you might think, especially considering the usual generic advice that's dished out regarding stress
Above- It's moi, Anton Hedges, health, fitness, lifestyle expert, back when I was suffering and NOT dealing with stress etc
POOR ADVICE - Whilst most coaches and gurus will tell you to lower or avoid stress and stressful/negative situations and people? We call BS...
Thing is, if you are striving and working towards anything, which you shoud be, then...
STRESS IS INEVITBALE
Life is a growth experience not a comfort experience
(for another day)
So DON'T lower your stress levels or look to avoid it
Lowering stress = Lowering results
Nobody ever suggests, or applies, a way to INCREASE your capacity to deal with it?
So instead of lookinng to avoid it, and stay in the comfy comfort zone - a breautfiul place but nothing ever grows there - Avoidance tactics, well avoidance of a little discomfort..
Avoidance is why the majority of people are NOT living the lives they want right now...
Avoiding difficult conversations
Avoiding doing some exercise and eating right
Avoiding making that call they need to make
Avoiding dating their partners and kids
I could go on but you get the drift
Thing is, you can either keep avoiding stress etc and NOT getting the results you want
Or you can step up and walk into the storm because for ANY kind of progress and self-improvement
There is a level of discomfort (not to be confused with suffering)
The difference - Your mindset and having a coach in your corner
With that in mind back to the stress - Modern life is stressful
We all know what it's like to feel stressed, but it's not easy to pin down exactly what stress means.
When we say things like "this is stressful" or "I'm stressed", we might be talking about:
Situations or events that put pressure on us – for example, times where we have lots to do and think about, or don't have much control over what happens.
Our reaction to being placed under pressure – the feelings we get when we have demands placed on us that we find difficult to cope with.
This in turn can make us feel more stressed emotionally
Also, when we feel anxious, our bodies release hormones called cortisol and adrenaline.
If you’re often stressed then you’re probably producing high levels of these hormones
Which can make you feel physically unwell and could affect your health in the longer term.
This stress can appear in a variety of forms such as overwhelm, anger, depression, anxiety etc
Thing is, we only have a limited capacity to deal with this stress, chaos, overwhelm
(I know from my own personal experiences)
And usually when that pressure builds we can get easily triggered and just give our power away
By just blowing up and losing it, usually at those nearest and dearest (effecting relationships)
We may then look to 'sedate' to change our 'state of mind'
with drink, drugs, junk, humor etc (and this cycle continues)
SO instead of 'avoiding' stressful situations and people
The guys using this system work on increasing their capacity to deal with stress
Because one thing I do know? This stress is just going to keep on coming
Reducing stress = reducing results and staying 'stuck'
Upgrading your ability to deal with it = upgrading your results (and your life)
So how do we counter-balance it and bulletproof our stress, overwhelm and calmness levels?
This is done through our simple proven warrior wellness system (usually 5-15 mins of daily mindset work)
Including our morning 'focus' routine
Which is all about setting up CREATIVE mode for the day instead of being in 'reactive' mode
Reacting to irrelevant stuff again due to the build up of the pressure and overwhelm
As well as the obvious of getting a decent nights sleep
And eating a balanced varied diet
You can learn more about this by claiming your free wellness training guide:
Here are just 5 ways you can make a start on leveling up and increasing your capacity to deal with stress
1, MEDITATION - Energy flows where the attention goes so what you are focusing on is Important
Part of our morning FOCUS work - Includes setting aside some quiet time, even if it's just a few minutes, and meditation is a big part of the body & mind program. Why not start out with a minute meditation and build up over time. Now I'm not talking about chanting with the hippies and it doesn't even matter if you daydream the whole way through it BUT that whole process of talking a couple of minutes out, even to prep your minute, will over time bring about a sense of calm.
Here is a link to a minute meditation: https://youtu.be/F6eFFCi12v8
Everyone can find one minute. From experience, my own included, 'can't' actually means - 'won't'
2, MOVEMENT - Move daily
This why the men on the program have that option of a DAILY session, and I'm not talking about beasting or ruining yourself. Movement is one of the best non-destructive 'state shifters' (instead of changing the state of mind with sedation, drink, drugs etc) Even just getting out for a walk, will work wonders for your mood and well-being, outside in the fresh air and ideally in nature.
What’s really amazing is that simply looking at pictures of nature can lower your blood pressure, stress, and mental fatigue. That’s how powerful nature can be. So perhaps consider changing your work desktop (or phone) to a nature scene. And preferably a nature scene that includes water – research has shown that images containing water are more restorative than those without. Consider getting out for a walk today, even if it's just for 10 minutes?
Exercise won't make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you're feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you deal with your problems more calmly.
3, PRIORITISE - Work smarter NOT harder!
When you take on too much or feel stressed with your to do list?
Remember when you die your inbox will STILL be full just somebody else will deal with it.
It is IMPOSSIBLE to get stressed and overwhelmed by a to do list, its just your thoughts and feelings.
What you actually need to do is prioritise, why not try one of the simple tools we use - 3 critical things. Prioritise what needs to be done and by when and work on the 3 most CRITICAL each day. What do you need for tomorrow what needs doing by next week etc ) This way you will be working through your list, living in the present, and making progress
4, SET & DECLARE GOALS - Challenge yourself
Set yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps build confidence. This will help you deal with stress.By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person, It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive, such as watching TV and sedating all the time.
5, TAKE CONTROL - And concentrate only on what you CAN control
There is no point getting stressed about things you have NO influence or control over, If your company is going under and is making redundancies, for example, there's nothing you can do about it, In a situation like that, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job. Taking control is all about taking ACTION If you remain passive, thinking, 'I can't do anything about my problem', your stress will get worse. Thinking WITHOUT doing just leads to more anxiety and stress because that feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of well-being." The act of taking control is in itself empowering, you are taking action and again living in the 'present' and it's a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.
Anton 'increased' Hedges
PS - If you know of anyone who's struggling with stress
or generally stuck, miserable and unhappy with their current reality and results
the please share
much appreciated
PPS - Don't forget you can still grab the free training on how I overcome anxiety, anger, stress etc and took back control here: https://anybodyspt.lpages.co/wellbeing-upgrade/
Sources: Me, Mind.org, Paul Mort, Byron Katy, NHS
