Many people work in stressful jobs. In fact there are very few jobs that come free of stress. There are some people of a different temperament who have a tendency to make their jobs more stressful than they need be. The result, however, is the same. People under pressure.
When the paths of people under pressure cross there can be a tendency towards conflict. Conflict results in stress and the problem is exacerbated.
It’s not unreasonable to suggest that the vast majority of today’s psychological problems have a stress base. And it’s true that there is no escape. Stress may have physical symptoms but it starts with the things we are thinking. And we are always thinking. We live and function in a cage of our own creation. We can escape from our environment but it’s impossible to run away from ourselves.
The good news is that it’s altogether possible to redesign the cage and make it more comfortable. The first step is to think about the things we are thinking. That’s important because our thoughts can become self-destructive. We are our own worst enemies and we need to work on minimising the negativity we are feeding ourselves.
Becoming good friends with ourselves takes work. And it takes time. But it’s vital that we work out what it is that makes us tick. Only then are we able to discern whether the ticking is simply time passing or the countdown to an explosion in our heads.
While it’s important to talk to ourselves it’s more important to talk to others. It’s by communicating and sharing our fears and our problems that we come to a better understanding of the fact that we are not alone. We can de-stress by talking. We can help others de-stress by listening.
Putting more thought and effort into de-stressing can help us minimise the distressing.
Gary Bentley Counselling 