Anxiety and stress are essential survival tools. It’s important to recognise and realise that both are necessary individually and in combination to ensure we are able to regulate the way we function on a daily basis. It’s also important to understand that too much stress or too much anxiety can be detrimental to both our mental and physical wellbeing.
Control is essential and control leads to balance. Gaining the upper hand, however, takes effort and the key to effective effort is understanding.
It’s essential that we take the time to know our triggers…those situations or stimulants that result in reactions that are out of proportion.
Some of the things that push us to our coping limits are unavoidable. Things like a stressful or challenging home life. But we can develop strategies to minimise their impact.
Other triggers are more obvious and that makes them more manageable. Alcohol, caffeine and drugs come under that banner. So too do phobias and erratic eating habits.
If we better understand the root cause of those things that agitate us the most then we can choose to do something about it.
But choice is linked to honesty. It’s only by admitting our shortcomings to ourselves that we are able to face them.
Being true to the person we know ourselves to be and practicing self care will give us the clearest picture of the areas of our life where improved self-management could make a difference.
And when all is said and done we have the right and the ability to choose. All we then need is the will.
Gary Bentley Counselling 