If emotions built modern society, then stress would be considered the foundation. No one seems to question the fact that we’ve created this stress; most people just accept it. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) named stress “The Health Epidemic of the 21st century.”
If left unchecked, stress can cause numerous physical and mental health problems. Even though we experience stress as a survival mechanism, modern living seems to have most of us in a near-constant state of stress. When we lived out in nature in eras past, we usually would only experience stress in the form of running from a wild animal or feeling frustration and fear when we couldn’t find food or water.
Now, this stress branches out into other facets of our increasingly complicated lives, so it’s no wonder that stress is at an all-time high around the globe. However, just because we live in a chaotic world does not mean you have to allow this stress to rule your life.
Here are 7 quotes to remember the next time you feel overstressed:
1. “You can’t calm the storm, so stop trying. What you can do is calm yourself. The storm will pass.” – Timber Hawkeye
In life, storms are always brewing because problems never stop. However, you don’t have to allow these problems to control you. Simply accept the stress, breathe deeply, and create a sanctuary in your home and within yourself to retreat to. As long as you remain calm, there’s nothing you can’t face in life. Keeping your composure and quieting your mind will take practice, so have confidence you can learn new behaviors that will help you manage stress better.
2. “The less you respond to negativity, the more peaceful your life becomes.”
What we give our energy to expands and multiplies, so if you find yourself focusing on mostly negative people and thoughts, you will only see more of them reflected in your life. However, when you focus on positive thoughts, people, and ideas, you can watch your world transform into a peaceful paradise. Managing stress starts with eliminating negative thought patterns and people who only bring you down.
3. “Take life day by day and be grateful for the little things. Don’t get stressed over what you can’t control.”
Stress happens partially because we try to control the uncontrollable. We cannot change the world, but we can change ourselves. Focus on the things in your life you can change, and you’ll notice the stress starting to melt away right before your eyes.
4. “You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously.”
Much of our stress is self-imposed. We expect perfection out of ourselves so we never truly allow ourselves to grow because we criticize ourselves to death. How can we accept our greatness if we can’t accept our flaws, too? Take it easy and extend compassion to yourself; you’ll only add stress to your life by expecting the impossible out of yourself and others.
5. “Sometimes the bad things that happen in our lives put us directly on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us.”
When we feel overstressed, sometimes we can’t see the bigger picture. We have tunnel vision and feel like we will never get out of a bad situation. This can lead to you spiraling into a negative mindset just because of one bad period in your life. Next time you feel overstressed, try to put things in perspective and think about what you learned from negative experiences rather than dwelling on how awful they made you feel.
6. “The older I get, the more I realize no one has any idea what they are doing and everyone is just pretending.”
While we all take different paths in life, and none of us truly knows all the right answers. Every one of us is doing our best to survive here. The next time you feel overstressed, remember that everyone is in the same boat. They have to deal with the exact same issues as you, so keeping this in mind can help you feel less alone and more in control.
7. “Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once. Breathe. You’re strong. You got this. Take it day by day.” – Karen Salmansohn
As we’ve mentioned before, we can easily add quite a bit of stress to our lives by thinking we need to figure everything out right now. Remember to breathe and focus on your goals. No one goes from the bottom floor to the top overnight, so don’t expect this from yourself. Getting too wrapped up in all the issues in life can overwhelm you, which can lead to feeling overstressed.
Final thoughts
Next time you feel overstressed, remember these simple steps:
- Breathe.
- Focus on the present moment.
- Bring your attention to solutions instead of problems.
- Practice gratitude.
Implementing these ideas into your daily life will help you manage stress and remember all the good things in your life.
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