Got Stress?

We all have them. Those days that seem as though they are never ending. When nothing goes as planned. You walk around feeling like you have a cloud hanging over your head.

As women, we handle stress quite differently than men. We want to talk about it, or we mull obsessively over our thoughts until they totally consumes our entire being. The funny thing is, we are usually the glue that holds relationships and families together. But we are more apt to stress and feel the weight of circumstance while men tend to brush things under the rug or avoid them.

Everyone, no matter sex or age, handles stress differently. Personally, I tend to overthink and overanalyze everything, and I stress about things until my brain literally hurts. In times like these, I have been known to reach for frozen yogurt and almonds, and obviously that really didn’t get me too far. Other times, I can be found pounding out my problems on the treadmill. I feel a bit better, but more often than not I find it just gives me more time to think.

Lately though, I have consciously tried to deal with stress and face my problems head on. I’ve applied this approach while dealing with a variety of transitions occurring simultaneously in my life. And here’s what I found: I stressed about how I was dealing with the stress itself. Can you say typical woman?!

So, to deal with my stress, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down everything I was worried about. Then I crossed off anything that was just plain silly. And believe me, there were a few of those. You see, I am the type that worries for days about the thirsty dog I saw running with his owner down the street. After I crossed off worries that were ridiculous, I took what was left and asked myself for each if and how I could change the problem. If the problem was one I could control, it stayed on my list. Everything else? Out the window!

The fact is, stress is a part of life. Anyone who is interested in competing has to realize that even though you are dieting, training and doing tons of cardio, you still have to wake up every day and go to work, pay bills etc. Life goes on. The key is learning how to hold it together even when things seem like they are hanging on by a thread. Take a deep breath, figure out a solution, and then move on.

Allowing a bump in the road to turn your life upside down is not being fair to yourself. You have to give every day 110%, even if it seems like it’s too hard. Every day brings new opportunities, new beginnings … and new stresses. Roll with the punches and do the best you can, because your best is more than enough!

Toni
www.facebook.com/public/Toni-Perdikakis
www.maxperformance.com