Stress is an inevitable part of life. Bills to pay, annoying people to deal with, traffic, taxes..stress is everywhere. Many events cause anxiety and stress and a certain amount of stress is normal in life. If another person is responsible for our stress, thoughts might turn to revenge or retribution. What is the best way to deal with such negative emotions?Suppressing them is no good as this can lead to physical illness and depression…
Instead of focusing on what is making you angry or the negative emotions, do the opposite. Watch a funny film, find something to laugh about. Play with animals or go for a walk. Don’t keep the anger ‘alive’ inside you by acting aggressively or punching things. Find things that make your body relax and dissolve the anger/stress.
Apart from distraction and doing the opposite,another helpful tactic is to focus on the benefits of the difficult experience. what have you learned from it? Has it helped you grow in any way? Made you wiser?
Focusing on benefits has been researched and the results have shown time and time again, that taking a philosophical approach definitely reduces stress. It induces feelings of empathy and forgiveness and lowers the heart rate.
Work on nurturing kindness, gratitude and hope and stress dissolves more easily.
Mandy X
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
