
How to Stay Stressed - Dejen45
http://www.spiritsound.com/stressed.html
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swombat
I'm glad to say I've been successfully staying stressed without having to know
about these tips. I guess I'm just naturally talented at it, it's one of my
key strengths.

~~~
Freebytes
I know you are being a bit sarcastic, but being stressed in this manner can
actually be a strength if you know how to turn it off. I am quite productive
when I stress myself, and as long as I can easily relax when the time comes
(when the work is done), I think I will remain healthy. (I still have my hair,
after all.)

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wynand
As someone whose stress has almost wrecked his life, I can relate to many of
these points.

The levels of stress that I have can be debilitating and actually keep me from
doing my work. It's useful to see lists like this to remind myself of what I
should be avoiding.

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RyanMcGreal
I'm having a hard time reconciling these two points:

* Take all criticism as total truth and take it personally

* Take no responsibility for your behavior

~~~
neilk
Surely you can see there's a middle ground where you listen to other people's
views, but don't accept them immediately.

All-or-nothing thinking is another big stressor, by the way.

~~~
RyanMcGreal
Your reply is stressing me out. :)

~~~
neilk
:)

On a more serious note, it really does help to pull back from the extremes.
I'm guilty of oscillating between thinking of myself as the absolute best or
the absolute worst. Both are a struggle to live with. Or demanding absolute
clarity about principles before proceeding. It's important to tolerating
ambiguity. And trust in yourself to navigate even without perfect knowledge.

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mleonhard
I hate to read lists of negative things to avoid. I'll try to invert each of
the points:

How to Avoid Stress

* Begin by setting reasonable standards for yourself

* Compare yourself with role models who you could someday be like

* Take all criticism with a grain of salt and try not to take it personally

* Allow yourself to make mistakes and to have imperfections

* View your work as a means to an end

* Pay attention to the outcome and the process

* Attribute the success or failure of every endeavor to the effort expended

* Acknowledge factors beyond your control but do not fixate on them

* Learn to meditate and relax; do it often

* Develop your sense of humor

* Listen to music for please

* If you have a physical problem, find the root cause of the problem and pursue a lasting solution

* Exercise often; eat healthy on a good schedule

* Avoid alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and other drugs and stimulants

* Fasten your seatbelt, drive slowly, and reduce your time spent in the car

* Take on what you can handle, learn to say no

* Learn to prioritize everything and work on the important things

* Stay organized

* Participate in your support networks

* Ask for help

* Take responsibility for your behavior

* Develop and maintain friendships with others

* Recover from injury, don't wallow in victimization

* When in doubt, avoid hastily assigning blame

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scorpioxy
One thing to add to the list is being obsessive.

I have a hard time switching my brains off. Even when i try to sleep. The
problem is that having this ability is what gives me my technical abilities so
its both a blessing and a curse.

~~~
jayliew
Quite the opposite, I try hard to keep my brain working while dozing off and
while waking up .. and as much as possible when I am drifting in and out from
consciousness, because sometimes that's how I find a solution to a problem
that I have been banging my head against the wall for. I think there was some
research done before about the upside of some truth behind "I'll sleep on it".

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merraksh
I fail to understand how this can be useful. Seems an (inverse) application of
an old method: to say something wise, first think of something foolish and
then say the opposite.

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sganesh
One more thing to add to the list :)

Don’t take advice from others, make mistakes on your own.

