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10 Ways Mentally Strong People Handle Stress

Handling stress poorly can negatively affect your well-being, but the good news is that you can learn the 10 ways that mentally strong people deal with stress and start using these techniques today.

Stress that is unmanaged can lead to physical health problems like high blood pressure, but can chronic stress can also develop into depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Rather than continue to handle stress poorly, let’s look at the 10 ways that mentally strong people handle stress effectively.

10 WAYS MENTALLY STRONG PEOPLE HANDLE STRESS

1. ACCEPT THAT STRESSFUL EVENTS WILL HAPPEN
We all know that things are bound to happen to upset even the most planned out day, but mentally strong people acknowledge this up front. There is going to be something unplanned for that happens to you, but you can begin planning for it now. Tell yourself now that although you know something stressful may happen today, you are prepared to handle it.

2. USE MULTIPLE STRESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Researchers in the Journal of Occupational Medicine studied workplace stress management programs and found that one that included goal setting, problem solving, identifying and questioning negative thoughts, relaxation, and time management was helpful for people to handle stress effectively. This strategy of using multiple techniques to handle stress is one that mentally strong people employ all the time.

3. TAKE CONTROL
Mentally strong people look at what is causing the stress and look for ways to prevent it from happening again. By making changes in their environment, they can avoid or reduce causes of stress.

4. AFFIRMATIONS
Use positive self-talk to remind yourself of just how capable you are when stressful situations come up. For example, say ‘I’ve handled situations like this before and I know I can handle this just fine too.’

5. TIME MANAGEMENT
Much of our perceived stress comes from not having enough time to get done what we want to get done. By planning ahead for lost time, we can make sure that we have enough time in the day for everything, without being stressed when something does inevitably delay us.

For example, if you have a full schedule and worry about being late to your next appointment, next time book your day with 20-30 minute gaps of time in between appointments. That way if there is too much traffic, the delay won’t seem as stressful to you due to the extra time that you planned in to your day.

6. SOCIAL SUPPORT
Researchers studying how people handle stress found that a strong social support network was linked to mental well-being. Some people find it challenging to ask for help because they like to be self-reliant. We all need help at some point, so being able to recognize when you have reached a significant stress-level and ask for help to get yourself back to a calm state is an excellent skill that mentally strong people use to handle stress.

7. THEY DO NOT AVOID STRESS
The same study that showed that social support helped mentally strong people to handle stress found that if they used the technique of avoiding things that they thought of as stressful, their mental well-being decreased significantly.

Avoiding is just a way of delaying handling stress. Running away from a problem never solved anything so choosing to face your worries and acknowledge the uncomfortable feelings while using another coping strategy is better for your mental strength.

8. SEE THOUGHTS ABOUT STRESS AS TEMPORARY
Thoughts come and go and some are terribly negative. Our awareness of our negative thoughts about stress is an excellent skill to have. This mindfulness can then be taken to the next level. Rather than avoid or repress negative thoughts about stress, see them as temporary mental events that will be gone fairly soon.

This is a strategy called ‘decentering’ by psychologists, where we challenge negative thoughts. We can choose to accept our negative thoughts as fact, or we can acknowledge that we were making a bigger deal than we needed to about the stressful event, and allow that thought to pass away from our minds like a cloud.

9. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE
This one stressful event is not going to change the course of your life all by itself. You are still a fantastically talented, creative and intelligent person who just had a negative experience. Mentally strong people know that although the surface of the ocean is turbulent, deep down it is calm.

10. THEY FIND WAYS TO ADD JOY
Adding a few moments of laughter to a stressful day can be all it takes to handles stress well. Even in the midst of a crisis, being able to laugh at yourself for how you overreact or misjudge something is a way to shift from a negative mindset to a positive one. For example you might say, ‘Well that was silly of me to forget my wallet, but hey, at least I noticed it before I was at the cash register with a full shopping cart.’

Courtesy of Power of Positivity

Lazy Day

Not sure if this is true but sounds good to me so I'm gonna embrace it!

Seasonal Stress

Christmas Wishes 2018

 

 

Looks as if my family is in need of a miracle this season so if you could please send prayers, healing energy, positive thoughts, blessings, good vibes, whatever your belief system...for my oldest DIL, I would be forever grateful.  Thank you!

Conversation with Nurse

The Doctor Visit

Brenda and Steve took their six-year-old son to the doctor.
 
With some hesitation, they explained that although their little angel appeared to be in good health, they were concerned about his rather small penis.
 
After examining the child, the doctor confidently declared, “Just feed him pancakes. That should solve the problem.”
 

The next morning when the boy arrived at breakfast, there was a large stack of warm pancakes in the middle of the table.

“Gee, Mom,” he exclaimed. “For me?”

“Just take two,” Brenda replied.

 
“The rest are for your father.”
 

Alrighty then…

X-Ray

This giggle is from Meredith's Jack! Enjoy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just returned from the Dr with the X-Ray of my recent knee surgery and thought I'd share it with you all...

Body-Positive

9 Body-Positive Quotes to Boost Your Self-Esteem 
 


No matter how much time you put in at the gym or how thoughtfully you nourish your body, everyone suffers from body-image issues from time to time. When you need a little boost of self-esteem (and who doesn't), here are 9 of our favorite quotes and mantras.


"When life throws you curves, embrace them!" Whether you're curvy or thin or somewhere in between, embrace the body you have right now. Chicken legs or thunder thighs, your legs and feet take you where you want to go. Skinny arms or bat wings, your arms let you hug your kids. Love your body, it's your home!



"Happiness isn't size specific." Many people discover that after losing weight they're about as happy as they ever were. Happiness is a choice not a condition of achieving a "perfect" body. Choose to be happy right now!



"There is no wrong way to have a body." We're all human. We all have flaws. Your body is yours and you should love it for all the things it can do.



"You are so much more than the number you see on the scale." The scale can't tell you how you good you feel. The scale can't tell you how much you're loved. The scale can't tell you how much you should love yourself. It can't even tell you how strong you are. All it does is measure the effect of gravity on your body. That's it!



"Exercise because you love your body, not because you hate it." Exercise should never be a punishment for something you eat. It should make you feel good and strong and energized. Move out of love for yourself and your body rather than focusing on how many calories you're burning.



"Don't say anything about yourself that you wouldn't say about your best friend." Would you tell your best friend that she was lazy, worthless and fat. Would you say that you hate her and wish she would just change. No, of course, not! So stop saying those hateful things to yourself!



"If someone has a problem with your body, it's their problem--not yours!" Your body is your business. If someone says something rude to you about your body it's because of their own self-esteem issues. You're under no obligation to agree with them!



"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line." To be kind to others and love them you must first be kind to yourself. Start by loving yourself and then allow yourself to see the entire world with love rather than judgement. Can you imagine how good that would feel?



"To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven." You live with yourself day in and day out for your entire life. Can you make being in your own skin a joy rather than a misery? You can if you focus on living in the moment and enjoying all the good things your body has to offer, rather than worrying about its imperfections.

 

Courtesy of Spark People

Habits That Make Anxiety Worse

Unfortunately, anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults over the age of 18 (roughly 18% of the population). Anxiety costs more than $42 billion annually in mental health bills, which shows just how widespread and severe this disorder has become.

With so many people suffering from anxiety, it seems of utmost importance to find the triggers for this disorder, and how we can avoid them. What can we do to feel better? You’ll find the answers to this question in this article, as well as the actual habits that make anxiety worse, in general.
 

10 HABITS THAT MAKE ANXIETY WORSE

(AND HOW TO AVOID HAVING THEM)

 
1. OVERTHINKING
Overthinking literally creates problems that don’t exist. Sometimes, they might actually exist, but dwelling on the problems will not provide answers. You will only make the problems worse, and therefore make your anxiety worse.



How to avoid it: If possible, have time set aside each day for ‘worrying.’ This might sound counterproductive to anxiety, but having a certain window of time allocated to overthinking will allow you to get out all your thoughts and feelings and move on. This way, you’ll have more energy throughout the day to devote to other things. You might also try a mindfulness practice such as meditation or yoga to help you quiet your thoughts.
 
2. OBSESSING
Just like overthinking, obsessing and fixating on issues does nothing to solve the actual problem. Though it is important to come to a solution, you won’t get there by overanalyzing. We spend so much time in today’s world solving problems and using critical thinking and obsessing over answers. What if we just escaped all of that obsessive behavior and just lived? In order to overcome anxiety, you need to find a quiet place in your mind and delve into it often.

How to avoid it: Basically, just let the thoughts flow through you, but don’t attach yourself to them. Only focus on the things you can change, and forget about the things you can’t. If something doesn’t feel right in your life, either release it or confront the problem directly in order to find peace of mind.
 
3. EXPECTATIONS
Many people with anxiety have a great fear of the unknown. They want to have expectations for everything, so it makes the future seem less scary. People with anxiety can sometimes have unreasonable expectations, and when they aren’t met, this makes the anxiety worse. Expectations usually lead to disappointments, so stop trying to predict the future. Usually, life happens much differently than we expect, and trying to foresee events in the future will only lead to greater anxiety when the event doesn’t actually happen. Not to mention, you’ll obsess over the perceived event until it actually happens, making it impossible to live in the present.

How to avoid it: Focus on living in the now. Make your life so exceptional that you have no time to worry about the future. Make your life your greatest joy, so that those pesky expectations don’t come back to haunt you later. You create your reality, so make it what you want rather than expecting things to just come your way.
 
4. AVOIDANCE
Avoiding anxiety might seem like the answer, but in reality, this just makes anxiety worse. You’ll have to deal with the repressed emotions later, and in much greater magnitude. Getting help for your disorder and recognizing that you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Avoidance can also be thought of in a different way – that of avoiding what scares us so that we don’t have to deal with the consequences. However, this will not encourage growth, and avoiding what brings you fear will only magnify it in your mind.

How to avoid it: First of all, you need to accept that you have anxiety. Then, you should work on getting help, in whatever way you see fit. Don’t just wait for someone to help you; sometimes, you have to take matters into your own hands if you want to move forward in life. Also, don’t avoid situations, people, or places just because they seem scary. Confront your fears head on, and this will make them shrink once you see that your mind created this fear based on perceptions, not reality.
 
5. DENIAL
Similar to avoidance, denial will also wreak havoc on your anxiety. You can’t just go through life with your head in the sand and not confront your issues head on. If you choose to take this route, you’ll have to fight a much more powerful beast later on, so taming your demons now will serve you well.

How to avoid it: Stop denying your anxiety, and gently accept that you might need help. Don’t beat yourself up over it, however; we all have issues, and we’ve all needed help at certain times in our lives. Once you accept that anxiety does control your life to some extent, you can go about overcoming it.
 
6. RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON MEDICATIONS
Of course, medication should never be totally ruled out for treatment, but when you use medication as the only source of relief from anxiety, you’re cheating yourself out of true healing and recovery. You see, we all have the power within to heal, but we just have to access it. Medication can help to some extent, but other forms of healing have been shown to be just as, if not more, effective.

For example, take this ground-breaking study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA). The researchers found that mindfulness meditation can provide just as much relief for anxiety and depression as antidepressants do. So, why subject yourself to all the toxins and harmful side effects when you can heal naturally without the side effects?

How to avoid it: Only you can choose how you want to overcome, or at least manage, anxiety, but at least open your mind to alternative ways of healing. Meditation, yoga, working out, hiking, arts and crafts, connecting with others, nature, eating whole foods, getting enough sleep, living a low-stress lifestyle, and working on positive thinking are some of the many healing modalities you could choose from.
 
7. HELPLESSNESS
When anxiety grips you so tightly and you can’t seem to escape its wrath, giving up can seem like a viable option. You feel helpless to make any change, and don’t know where to turn. It’s quite easy to get lost inside the mind and let it totally take you over, but just remember that everyone must hit rock bottom to truly appreciate life and make a change. Anxiety can make you feel helpless, like you have no control over your body or mind, but just remember that you DO have a say in how you feel. You CAN make a change, with perseverance, support, and willingness.

How to avoid it: When you feel helpless, try to go into a meditation practice or just become mindful of your body. Remember that you have a beating heart, and you came here for a reason. Don’t ever let your mind convince you that you can’t make it here, because you certainly can, with a bit of faith and effort.
 
8. TRYING TO CONTROL EVERYTHING
Another bad habit that anxiety often causes is trying to control every aspect of life. People with anxiety usually fear the unknown, so they try to control whatever they can so they don’t feel so helpless and powerless. However, trying to control everything will make life very regimented, tense, and unenjoyable. Even though the unknown can seem scary, there’s something to be said about the anticipation and excitement of not knowing what will come next.

How to avoid it: Remember that you can’t possibly control everything in life. Try to focus on only the things you can control, so that it won’t appear that life actually controls YOU.
 
9. USING FOOD, DRUGS, OR ALCOHOL TO BURY FEELINGS
Using a substance outside of ourselves in order to get temporary relief will never lead to long-term healing. Food, drugs, and alcohol can provide temporary happiness, but it won’t compare to what you can feel by going within yourself. By releasing all those demons and learning to live in the moment, you can free yourself WITHOUT using harmful substances.

How to avoid it: When you feel the urge to self-medicate, or binge on food, use that moment as a valuable learning experience. Truly examine your feelings, and ask if your body, mind, or spirit will really feel better by absorbing the energies from these substances. If the answer is no, then ask yourself what other activities you enjoy that you can do to manage anxiety. Maybe you enjoy biking, hiking, drawing, or catching up with friends. You can ALWAYS make a choice to do better for yourself, but you just have to make yourself a priority.
 
10. PERFECTIONISM
So, just like trying to control everything, perfectionism will only lead to unhappiness and frustration down the road. After all, if life were perfect, we wouldn’t have so many problems to begin with. In other words, life will never reach perfection, so just accept the beauty you find in the imperfections.
How to avoid it: Create your own happiness, and don’t beat yourself up when you fail or when you try to control things outside yourself. You’ll have to gradually let go of perfectionism, but it will serve you well in the long run.

Things to Remember When You Have Negative Thoughts

 

Here's the YouTube link if you can't get the video to play.  

Courtesy of Power of Positivity

Perfect Female Body

Ran across this article and thought this was very interesting…what do you think?

How the “Perfect” Female Body Has Changed In 100 Years
Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the mainstream idea of the “perfect body shape” for women has shifted almost as often as fashion trends. In some cases, the contrasts between decades are shocking, and speak volumes to public attitudes at the time – which, basically, depended on whether or not people thought it was okay for women to have curves.

Countless diets, pills, and celebrity icons later, we’re still going wrong in 2017 by encouraging women and girls to constantly compare themselves to others, rather than loving themselves in their own right. At the very least, however, we’ve come farther than using cigarettes and Wonder Bread to slim down.

Take a walk back in time with us, and marvel at the varyingly ridiculous expectations placed on women over the years.

More info: (h/t: Vintage Everyday, DM)


Image credits: Leo Delauncey
 
Camille Clifford

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey
 

Alice Joyce

 
 

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey
 
Jean Harlow

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

 

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

 
Elizabeth Taylor

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

 

Twiggy

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

 
Farrah Fawcett

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

 

Elle MacPherson

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

Kate Moss

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

 

Christina Aguilera

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Image credits: Leo Delauncey

Courtesy of boredpanda