Spell Stressed Backwards and You Get Desserts: How to Manage Stress to Make Life Sweeter

"Adopting the Right Attitude Can Convert a Negative Stress Into a Positive One" - Hans Selye April is Stress Awareness Month Let's face it. We are all going to face some stress in our lives. Although not all stress is bad. A new home, job promotion, new baby, wedding plans are all examples of good stress. On the other hand tight finances and job losses are all too common sources of stress in these economic times. These negative events take a mental and physical toll on us. This can eventually impact our immune system and lead to long-term health problems. How Do You Cope With Stress So how do you cope when faced with stressful situations? How do you get through the day? Do things build until you find yourself with a short fuse, easily irritated, taking your anger out on those around you? Or are you one who becomes overwhelmed, emotionally withdrawn, depressed and end up doing nothing? In either scenario you probably know you need better coping skills. A skill that is both powerful and effective is a technique used in NLP called "anchoring". The premise of this procedure is that you can change the way you feel immediately - sad to happy, lethargic to motivated for example - by using anchors. The process is really quite simple. And it works. Here's how to do it. Stop Negative Self Talk The next time you are feeling down change the way you physically carry yourself. Hold your head up, stand tall, breathe deeply and walk with confidence. Sounds too simple, right? But notice the reaction you get when interacting with others. Your outward appearance will project confidence no matter how you may feel inside. Next change your negative self talk - the "loser" talk - with one word. STOP! See the word mentally or speak it out loud. This will immediately interrupt that downward spiral and pave the way for anchoring. NLP Anchoring Start by remembering a time you felt good about yourself. Immerse yourself in that memory. What were you doing, wearing, with whom, saying what. At the height of that memory, when you are feeling awesome, do something unique to anchor that mood. Clench your fists, tug your ear, hum a special tune. Pick a gesture that works for you. Anchor several feel-good memories, dreams, or fantasies in the exact same way. And you are done. Now every time you use your anchor - for example, let's say tug your ear - you will automatically trigger all the good feelings you have linked to it. Use this NLP technique every time you are feeling tense, anxious, stressed. Fire off that anchor and immediately be in a better place. You will feel more resourceful in this state of mind. Better able to explore new avenues for resolving or at least tackling the source of your stress. Look at it this way, when you spell stressed backwards you get desserts. Stress, when managed well, makes life sweeter.