Is Life Stressing You Out? Take Control.

Taking back control of your life by making your own decisions and your own choices is essential toliving a peaceful life. It will help you to feel better about yourself and may even help you to relieve some of the stress that has been troubling to you.

There are several things you can do to begin this process. You can do these things in whatever way feels right to you. In the process of taking control of your own life, you may need to change the nature of your thoughts. Where do they come from? Are they helping me or sinking me?

There is so much obscurity, so much smoke surrounding the concept of having control of one’s life that most fail miserably in attaining it. There seem to be so many variables involved that finding a good place to start can prove to be near impossible. It’s true — there are a ton of variables and factors that go into shaping your life, shaping you as a person and shaping your future. That’s where you need to start — stop trying to control those things that you cannot control. We spend more time than is worth mentioning worrying about the state of affairs that are entirely out of our reach. Obviously, we are affected by much that goes on in the world and often are affected profoundly.

So, if you are trying to take the bull by the horns, here’s what I recommend:

STOP. When you’re faced with a problem, take a moment to recognize and evaluate your stress level and “listen” to your feelings.

Slow down. When you’ve identified that you are stressed, you can combat its effect on your mind and body by using various relaxation techniques. Taking control of your mind and body will help you feel more powerful when making decisions.

Think. Once you take a moment to stop, relax and gain control of your thoughts and body, you can then move on to addressing the problem. Think through what is bothering you and what specifically is causing you stress. You might find it helpful to write down your thoughts.

Act. The final step is to take action. You may find it helpful to expand on what you’ve written down and develop an action plan that outlines steps you can take to gain better control over your situation.

Remember that life is full of difficulties that can cause you to feel stressed. It’s up to you to take these practices and make them a positive habit.

Photo credit: Tumblr.com