| Overreacting to stressful situations is a form of | | | | believing their stress level is more than they can |
| "self-sabotage" that causes emotional stress. | | | | handle. If you suspect that you habitually use |
| Everyone experiences stress; sometimes the | | | | negative self-talk in your daily life, it's not too late |
| way we react to stress amounts to | | | | to learn positive self-talk. |
| self-sabotage! We've all found ourselves impatient | | | | By keeping a journal, using positive affirmations |
| with people or taking our frustrations out on | | | | and surrounding yourself with positive energy, you |
| others, or causing unnecessary conflicts because | | | | can turn things around for the better, and |
| stress is clouding our judgment. And while some | | | | experience much less stress in your daily life. |
| people find themselves creating this type of | | | | Poor Conflict Resolution Skills: |
| drama in their lives occasionally, others make this | | | | Do you tend to act aggressively with people |
| self-sabotage a way of life, continually creating | | | | when simple assertiveness will work better? Or |
| additional emotional stress for themselves without | | | | do you passively let others walk all over you |
| being aware of their own role in this! | | | | because you don't know how to say no? Conflicts |
| The following are some of the most common | | | | with others are generally a part of life, but how |
| ways that people create stress in their own lives. | | | | we handle them can strengthen relationships, or |
| Carefully think about whether any of these | | | | can cause additional stress and create bigger |
| self-sabotage techniques apply to you, so you can | | | | conflicts. Many people who act aggressively aren't |
| make simple changes to reduce significant stress | | | | fully aware that they're doing harm in their |
| from your life. | | | | relationships, and aren't familiar with a better way |
| Being "Type A": | | | | of handling things. |
| People who move through the world in a "Type | | | | Pessimism: |
| A" pattern of behavior rush frantically and treat | | | | If you're a pessimist, you may see things as |
| others with hostility. If you react to life in a "Type | | | | worse than they really are, may pass up |
| A" manner, you're probably bringing unnecessary | | | | opportunities to better your situation and overlook |
| emotional stress to relationships with | | | | solutions to problems. Pessimism is more than just |
| aggressiveness. You may be missing simple | | | | seeing the glass as half-empty; it's a specific |
| solutions to problems because you're rushing so | | | | worldview that undermines your belief in yourself, |
| much that you don't pay attention to details; doing | | | | brings poorer health outcomes, fewer positive life |
| so, you also create bigger problems. | | | | events, and other negative consequences. |
| Negative Self Talk: | | | | Taking On Too Much: |
| Sometimes, the enemy is inside your head in the | | | | Are you overscheduled and overstressed? You |
| form of negative self-talk. The way we talk to | | | | may be taking on too much, and putting yourself |
| ourselves forms during childhood and can follow us | | | | under undue pressure because of it. Whether it's |
| through our lives. Those whose self-talk tends to | | | | because you're a "Type A" type person or |
| be negative may attribute malevolent intent to | | | | because you're not sure how to say no to others' |
| others when none exists, interpret potentially | | | | demands on your time, you can put yourself in a |
| positive events as negative and missing important | | | | state of chronic stress if you habitually take on |
| benefits, or create a self-fulfilling prophecy by | | | | more than you can handle. |