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Try a mindfulness strategy to improve
self-control under stress.
You
know that person, the one that always challenges your self-control? It could be your ex, or might be a colleague you see occasionally at meetings, a friend of a friend,
or a relative you only see at holidays.
How
about those difficult situations, like getting a late charge because you forgot
to pay a bill? Situations like that also tax our self-control abilities. Yeah,
like that unexpected tax bill.
Yet
another precursor of self-control problems is cumulative stress—you slept
poorly, ate poorly, worked 12 hours straight and, just as you’re getting ready
to shut work down for the day, the message arrives from your boss—Aargh,
you are not seriously asking me to do one more thing today, are you?
That
person and those situations, along with the stress you're already facingpost-divorce, are why you need mindfulness-based
coping strategies.
According
to Jon
Kabat-Zin, “mindfulness is awareness
that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment,
non-judgmentally.” Using mindful strategies in the face of stressors,
like that person, you can behave in a controlled, thoughtful
manner.
Having
a mindful coping strategy, along with a couple of basic steps to improve
self-control, can slow the burn, avoid the meltdown and help with a speedy
recovery.
