But the good news is that you just need to figure out how to put your stress to work for you. I recently wrote about it in a post that starts like this:
It's common knowledge that, repeated over time, stress leads to problems with health, performance and wellbeing, including illness, missed days from work, depression, aggression and relationship problems.
If you're like most people, your mindset is geared toward
getting rid of the stress or avoiding the problem. Who can blame us? Nobody
likes that that sick-in-the-pit-of-my-stomach fight or flight feeling. Our
response is usually denial (I'm fine!),
anger (Why me!) or overwhelm (I can't handle this!).
But, oddly, recent
research has shown that stress actually heightens awareness, speeds up thinking,
improves performance and leads many to say, "I'm great in a crisis."
It's why my clients suffering with anxiety tell me their worry helps them
anticipate problems and envision potential solutions. It's how I know that
adults who have faced hardships early in life can have tremendous reserves of
strength to face current difficulties and often a greater appreciation for the
gifts life has given them.
