Center for Internal Change, Inc.
6 N. Pine Street
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Tel: (847) 259-0005
Fax: (312) 873-3868
Stress Management
Do you have any of the following symptoms of stress?
These are the minor symptoms of stress some of the more serious include total nervous breakdown, heart attack and stroke. NOW, imagine it is April 14th; you just realized your taxes are not done, and your computer just crashed. Your boss is on the phone and wants to see you in his office now. As you vividly create these images in your mind notice how you feel. Become aware of your body, your breathing, and your heart rate. How does your chest and stomach feel? Now imagine crossing the street as a truck comes barreling down on you from nowhere, horn blaring and bigger than life. Notice your internal experience. At times these reactions can be resourceful and life saving, but at other times they can be very damaging. The process your mind goes through in both cases is based on the most positive of intentions: survival. Fear is one of the most powerful motivators, yet it is also one of the most damaging stressors in life. It can be both resourceful and non-resourceful. Fight or Flight Many people feel stuck, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, panicked due to the stresses they experience in daily life. If we feel overwhelmed or unable to cope our body goes into a fight or flight response. Yet often fighting or fleeing are not realistic or appropriate options. Many people freeze up, like a deer caught in a car’s headlights. I believe this is an internalized version of fight or flight. We are fleeing inside ourselves and/or fighting within ourselves. Internal Conflict How much time do you spend worrying, feeling guilty, and beating yourself up? Is your mind saying one thing while your body is in clear disagreement (ulcers, migraines, high blood pressure, backaches, or panic attacks)? Do you have those internal arguing voices saying such things as: “I must do… but I should do…. I should not have done…. I ought too…." Clearly there is no positive correlation between the amount of time spent on or the intensity of worrying or feeling guilty and achieving your desired outcomes. On the contrary, the energy that could be used to complete a task is being redirect away from action into inaction. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have our various parts working together as a “united front” through life’s challenges? Center for Internal Change, Inc. offers the skills to do just that. We Offer CALM (Career and Life Management) Stress Management Workshops, Seminars, Coaching, Counseling and Consulting. Our approach is systemic. Stress effects and is effected by our jobs, families, social life, and our beliefs, thoughts, feelings and physiology. If we tried to eliminate stress from our lives we may not be able to function effectively because we would lose much of the driving force and motivation in our lives. It is not possible or sensible to attempt to eliminate all stress, but it is reasonable to attempt to control or master the stress we experience. If we constantly experience levels of stress which are too high for us to cope with, then both physical and mental symptoms will become apparent. Contact us for a free in person or phone initial consultation for coping with and/or mastering your negative stress. Center for Internal Change, Inc. recommends the following:
If our book recommendations for stress management are not showing up below then please press the REFRESH button on your browser.
|
