Wow. There has been a lot of things that a lot of people have been stressed out about this year. I’m not saying that it’s not justified…we’ve all been through a lot. Some have been through more than others. In terms of the general public, we’ve seen the economy take a major nose dive. We’ve seen our national deficit increasing. We’ve seen unemployment rising, and some of us are included in that statistic. That’s just the beginning. We also saw the most interest/anger (ok, let’s call it “passion”) over a Presidential Election in history. That’s 225+ years of history. Nobody is really sure what the new administration will bring us, but we all have hope: Hope for the best.
When I teach CPR certification classes, one of the things I talk about are the risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Some things, like your heredity, you have no control over. Some things you have complete control over, such as your diet, how much you exercise, and so on. One category that many people think we don’t have much control over, is the stress in our life. I disagree.
While we have very little direct influence over some of the things that effect us (the economy, our employment situation, our retirement account), and this adds “stress” to us….I believe that stress is what you make of it. How you choose to react to stimulus is entirely up to you. You can choose to be stressed, or you can choose to do something about it. Some people to choose both. The reality is, that allowing yourself that stress really does not have a positive impact on anything. It does not get you a job, it does not help your team win, it certainly does not improve the economy. And besides, it’s not healthy.
It’s not fair for me to say “don’t worry”. However, Dr. Stephen Covey differentiates between the Circle Of Concern and the Circle Of Influence. There are a lot of things that concern me (see all of the above items, and note that I am typing as my San Diego Charges are struggling against the 1-7 Kansas City Chiefs), however there are very few things that I have influence over. As I choose which items I react to, and what my reaction is going to be, I manage how much stress I feel. That, in turn, helps me to be, and feel, healthier.
Take action on the things you can control. Make a backup plan for your job (or your company, if you are self employed like I am). Obama may or may not be the answer we are looking for. Taxes may go up. The economy may rebound. The real estate market may rebound. Actually, history shows us that all of the above will eventually happen, and the new president will do things that everyone likes, and that everyone dislikes.
Manage your stress, and control what you can. Really. You’ll feel better, and be more influential. When the rest of this “stuff” corrects itself, you’ll be healthier, happier, and better positioned to excel while the rest of the world is breathing a sigh of relief.
Oh, and you’ll be controlling one more risk factor than you thought you could.
