Stress is not always a reaction to a specific situation. Often, our thoughts can lead to intense feelings of stress. Whether a situation is big or small we determine the size of the situation by the thoughts that we think. Have you ever noticed how uptight you feel when you are caught up in your own thinking? Once a situation occurs that creates some stress the mind begins to race from one thought which leads to another and another and yet another until at some point, you become incredibly agitated. The solution is to notice what's happening in your head before your thoughts have a chance to build momentum. I call what happens "going on automatic"! Once you go on "automatic" then you will probably go into anger or some other inappropriate behavior. You can stop your thoughts at anytime. The sooner you catch yourself in the act of building your mental snowball or mind tornado, the easier it it is to stop.
Anger Management Institute, LLC 510.3930250
