STRESS BUSTER TOOLKIT

A useful strategy for managing stress is to change the way you perceive a situation.  When we feel stressed, we often experience unhelpful thinking.  This type of thinking often reflects how we feel, or how distressing or upsetting we find our situation to be.  However, it does not often reflect how things truly are or could be.  In this respect, this type of thinking is often referred to as ‘irrational’.

Considering how much of your thinking is based on assumptions and interpretations often identifies irrational thinking.  

The following is a list of examples of irrational thinking which we can experience.  How much of this applies to you?

Choose one type which you are going to learn how to intercept and change.

This often means seeing only one extreme outcome rather than evaluating a more realistic response.  Do you think that because you are not very good at something you must therefore be very bad at it?  Do you ignore the possibility of something in between?

“I'm a failure if I don't get this job”

This is illustrated by defining yourself with one single negative view.

“I am an awful person”

These words often reflect an assumption about what we think is expected of us, but may not be realistic.

“I should be at the top of my profession”

“I must be the best at my job”

This involves blowing up the experience to be bigger than it is.  

“Everybody hates me because I couldn’t work late”

When feeling pressured our ability to anticipate outcomes can be negative.

“If I don’t make this deadline my boss will sack me”

This is when we ignore or 'put down' the positive characteristics and concentrate on negative beliefs.

“He only said my report was good because he wants me to write another one”

Saying things like “other people have all the luck”.  Things may have gone wrong this time but that doesn't mean they always do or will.