Positive Thinking

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Positive Thinking

JoAnn Guest

Dec 30, 2004 16:34 PST

 

Avoid negative thoughts of powerlessness, dejection, failure, and

despair. Chronic stress make us vulnerable to negative suggestion. Learn

to focus on positives.

 

Focus on your strengths

Learn from the stress you are under

Look for opportunities in the stressful situation

Seek out the positive – make a change

 

 

Here is one way to get out of the destructive negative thinking habits.

All possible situations we face can be classified into two categories:

 

One: Situations where we can do something about to change the outcome.

In this case, don’t just sit there and worry about it. Go ahead and take

care of it. You have control. Procrastination is the root cause for many

stressful episodes.

 

Second: Situations where you have no control on the outcome. In this

case sitting and worrying will not make any difference on the outcome.

So, don’t worry about it. Let the situation resolve by itself; you

cannot do anything about this anyway.

 

Dean Ornish talked about how our culture teaches us to dwell on the high

stress activities. He gave this example: Two Arabs took their Mercedes

car out for a spin in the desert. Although there probably was not

another car in the 10-mile radius, these two guys managed to have a

head-on collision. Now, if this happened in the USA or many other parts

of the world, the drivers will be getting out of the car and showering

each other with abuses, threats and remind the other person how stupid

he was to cause the accident. What did the Arabs do after they had their

cars totaled? They rush out of their cars, run to each other; hugs and

says, " This is great! Allah, wanted us to meet. "

 

Stress IS a choice.

 

Every day, I can CHOOSE to be happy or sad, stressed or relaxed, etc.

 

If things are getting hectic I ask myself, " What can I do about it

today, right now? "

 

Sometimes, the answer is " nothing. " When that happens, I just try to go

on about the business of taking care of what I CAN do, today, right now.

 

 

If I have to stand in line, I can choose to watch the folks around me,

look at the decorations, balance my checkbook, read a little of the

paperback in my pocket, talk to a little child or old person-or I can

silently bitch about standing in line until my blood pressure goes up

and my feet hurt. It is a CHOICE!

 

Internet Discussion Forum

 

 

The key to moving on is forgiveness--of self and others. Although it is

a waste of energy to worry about future events over which we have no

control, it is human nature to do so. Plan and prioritize as best you

can, and then be easy on yourself'. The future hasn't happened, and the

past is not going to happen again. In the words of Ram Dass, " Be here

now. " You can start by recognizing and accepting when a situation is

beyond your control.

 

And keep on practicing. Pythagoras said, " Choose always the way that

seems the best, however rough it may be. Custom will soon render it easy

and agreeable. " Just as patterns and habits can trap us when we let

them, we can make them our well-worn path to happiness and satisfaction.

 

The " Serenity Prayer " of theologian Rheinhold Niebuhr, adopted by

Alcoholics Anonymous, reflects this so well:

 

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and the wisdom to know the difference-

living one day at a time;

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.

Another important sense is the sense of humor. In breathing new life

into the old wisdom that " laughter is the best medicine, " the late

Norman Cousins transformed his own experiences into a message of healing

and hope for millions.

 

Humor is a very important therapy for reducing stress. We will cover

this in detail later.

http://holisticonline.com/stress/stress_positive-thinking.htm

 

Get Organized/Time Management

 

One of the most common cause of stress is being disorganized at work or

at home. Here are some tips to get organized:

 

Keep a diary.

 

Write lists of tasks to accomplish, prioritize them and schedule when

you will complete them.

 

 

Writing down objectives, duties and activities helps to make them more

tangible and do-able. Having a schedule also helps you provide the facts

when your boss asks you to perform unreasonable tasks. They may have no

idea that you are overwhelmed with work and the additional

responsibilities cannot be accomplished unless something else goes.

Again, prioritizing tasks helps you to minimize the stressful

situations.

 

Make A List and Prioritize

 

So many projects, so little time. To beat stress, you have to learn to

prioritize. At the start of each day, pick the single most important

task to complete, then finish it. If you're a person who makes to-do

lists, never write one with more than five items. That way, you're more

likely to get all the things done, and you'll feel a greater sense of

accomplishment and control. Then you can go ahead and make a second

five-item list. While you're at it, make a list of things that you can

delegate to co-workers and family members.

 

Learn To Say No When Appropriate

 

Sometimes you have to learn to draw the line. Stressed-out people often

can't assert themselves. Instead of saying 'I don't want to do this' or

'I need some help,' they do it all themselves. Then they have even more

to do. "

 

Give your boss a choice.

 

Say 'I'd really like to take this on, but I can't do that without giving

up something else. Which of these things would you like me to do?' Most

bosses can take the hint. The same strategy works at home, with your

spouse, children, relatives and friends. If you have trouble saying no,

start small. Tell your hubby to make his own sandwich. Or tell your

daughter to find another ride home from volleyball practice.

 

Pad your schedule

 

Realize that nearly everything will take longer than you anticipate. By

allotting yourself enough time to accomplish a task, you cut back on

anxiety. In general, if meeting deadlines is a problem, always give

yourself 20 percent more time than you think you need to do the task.

 

Other Tips on Time Management

 

Look at the way you do things. Are you a perfectionist? If so, try to

decide which tasks truly require meticulous attention to detail and

which can be done casually.

 

Make a realistic list of what you need to accomplish in a given day,

with the most important things at the top. Tackle them one at a time,

and don't start a second until you have finished the first.

 

Plan your day to include work breaks which physically or mentally take

you away from the office. Try not to bring office work home.

 

When you have several things to accomplish, set priorities and postpone

less important tasks. Learn to delegate matters that cannot be put off.

Deal with concerns on a day-at-a-time basis.

 

Control the timing of stressful events. Try not to make major decisions

when you are overtired or anxious.

 

http://holisticonline.com/stress/stress_time-management.htm

 

Next Topic: Be Assertive

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

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AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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