8 Common Myths About Stress:
Myth 1: Stress is the same for everybody.
Completely wrong. We all respond to stress in different ways. Something that might totally stress one person out may have no impact on another person.
Myth 2: Stress is everywhere so you cannot do anything about it.
Find something you are not bothered by but other people are (like fear of heights, flying, interviewing for a job) People who experience stress in those situations may say it is impossible to avoid because they cannot imagine doing any of those things without completely stressing out. You know that isn’t true though because those things do not affect you. The emotions or feelings they have about the things that stress them out come from their beliefs. The same is true for whatever is stressing you out right now, whether it is your job, your finances or a relationship. It is possible to create a new belief around those things and eliminate that stress from your life. Even though we do not have the power to prevent stressful situations from occurring we can control how we react. Become more aware of your triggers.
Myth 3: If you have no symptoms, stress is not affecting you.
Have you heard the saying “Stress is a silent killer?” Although stress can show up in a lot of unpleasant ways like weight gain, insomnia, headaches, tension in your neck and shoulders to name a few but just because you are not experiencing symptoms along with stress does not mean it is not affecting you. Chronic stress has been linked to heart disease and cancer. People who live high stress lives can suffer from a sudden stroke or heart attack. Stress can also lead to high cholesterol or diabetes even though the symptoms are silent.
Myth 4: Negative events cause stress.
Although negative events do cause stress happy events can do the same thing. Some people get stressed over a wedding or the birth of a child. It is not the event or thought itself, it is your emotional response to the event that causes you stress.
Myth 5: Stress is a motivator.
This is where we need to determine the difference between stress and stimulation. Setting goals or pushing yourself to perform better are stimulating. Stress is when you are feeling frustrated, angry, anxious or fearful which will absolutely decrease your ability to perform.
Myth 6: Stress is a choice.
Stress is a result of the subconscious beliefs you have about the world. You just can’t choose not to believe something if you honestly feel that it is true. You have to find ways to challenge these beliefs so you can begin to see them differently.
Myth 7: Stress is not a big deal.
Every minute you are frustrated about your job, your relationships, you financial state, your future or your health, the sum total of all of those negative emotions that run through your mind from the time you get up to the time you go to bed is stress! So for most people, stress is a really big deal!
Myth 8: The most popular techniques for reducing stress are the best ones.
There is not a one size fits all when it comes to stress reduction. We all lead different lives. Our situations and reactions are all different. That is why on my website I teach all different kinds of techniques to help eliminate stress. Try them out and choose what works best for you!