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Use
Your Mind to Turn Frustration Into Energy
Do you find
yourself getting frustrated, uptight or even full of rage over people
or problems that are simply beyond your control?
Think about this for a moment…
- Do you
become tense if you are stuck in traffic and become late for a meeting?
- Does dealing
with rude clients/customers make angry?
- Do you
find it draining when work is delayed due other people's incompetence?
If so, then
your mind may be unwittingly creating stress in your life that is reducing
your working stamina and capacity.
Picture this....
It was 4.50pm on a Monday afternoon and, after 4 hours of working solidly
on my new website, I pressed the 'save' icon - only to have my computer
tell me "you have timed out - please login again". As a cold
bead of sweat ran down the side of my face, I realised that the 4 hours
of work was now gone forever.
It took only 4 seconds before I could feel my fists clench, chest tighten,
posture slump forward, breathing become rapid, and teeth clench. I could
feel the stress in every vein and fibre of my body.
The more I dwelled about how much work I lost and how frustrating it was
to have wasted so much time, the more tension I could feel in my body,
and the harder it became to think clearly.
When you produce a stressful reaction to a pressure, your body produces
stress hormones (like cortisol), your blood pressure increases, more sugar
is dumped into your blood, you breath harder/faster, and your muscles
tighten up. Your body goes into extreme survival mode - regardless of
whether we are chased by wild animals or just chased by time.
Studies have found that a negative assessment (being pessimistic) on what
happens around you can affect physical bodily pain; general health &
vitality; emotional; and mental health, and quality-of-life. [iii] [Mayo
clinic, College of Medicine, 2002]
After ranting and raving, I realised that I was getting myself upset because
I was trying to control events that were simply beyond my control. The
moment I faced that facts that 'all this melodrama isn't going to bring
my work back', I was able to let go, relax, and get back to work - without
the tension or strain.
Becoming resilient to pressure is not just about being mentally tough
and hard-headed, it's also about being able to mentally let go of problems
that are beyond your control.
Whether you are stuck in traffic, late for a meeting, dealing with rude
clients/customers, or delayed due other people's incompetence, ask yourself:
- 'Is this
situation in my control or out of my control?'.
- 'What
action can I take right now, that is in my control, to keep my productivity
high?'
Use your
mind to turn frustration into activity by taking action over what you
can control. Not only will this enhance your performance at work, but
also preserve your health, wellbeing and sanity.
Not over-reacting
to the situation and staying calm may actually save your life! Studies
have found that an exaggerated mental reaction to pressure can restrict
the amount of blood flowing to the heart, possibly leading to heart disease.
[ii] [John Hopkins Medical Institutions, 1997]
When dealing
with pressure, you can use your mind to stay calm by realizing that
- The problem
may not be occurring because of you, but because of factors beyond your
control. Therefore, this situation is not a personal reflection of your
ability, but a set of imposed circumstances that you have to deal with.
- Although
there maybe a lot that you can't do, there may be something that you
can do, right now, to help resolve or deal with this situation.
Resilience
Tip: Change what you can control and let go of what you can't control
To get over 27 tips and techniques on how to use your mind to become resilient
to stress and pressure, visit StressManagementSuccess.com
SOURCE:
StressManagementSuccess.com
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