Have You Chosen Stress?
Monday September 29, 2008
Our spotlight this week is on The Adult Student's Guide to Survival & Success. It was written by Dr. Al Siebert and Mary Karr, and is full of helpful tips for non-traditional students. Non-traditional students traditionally stress over going back to school. Here's the question: do you choose stress?
According to Dr. Siebert, we do. Siebert is also the author of The Resiliency Advantage and the director of The Resiliency Center. Both are focused on the importance of developing resilience in today's changing world. The first step in developing an ability to react in a positive way to change is taking care of your health and well-being, and here's the key, realizing that stress is not something that happens to us. Stress is a reaction we choose.
How is that sitting with you? Do you agree? Or does it get your hackles up? I happen to agree with Dr. Siebert. It has taken me 52 years, but I've come to appreciate that our experience of life is largely a result of the way in which we choose to respond to what life dishes up.
So if you've chosen stress in response to the first month back in the classroom, pause and reflect on exactly how your own choices might change your reaction. And then pick up The Adult Student's Guide to Survival & Success and get some help. You're not alone out there.
Photo of Dr. Siebert courtesy of Practical Psychology Press
Comments
I choose only constructive stress, like if stressing is going to make me get something done I need to do, and wouldn’t otherwise. It’s so much more pleasant enjoying life. Especillay if it’s something we have to do, may as well feel gd. Worry never accomplishes much without action. I find taking time to breathe… really helps
I agree 150% about stress being a choice. Sure, we all have stressful things coming into our lives all the time, but we choose how we deal with them. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but knowing we have at least some control over how we deal with those events makes them not so terrible.
I think some stress is needed for us to get what we need done or to achieve a result we want. It is all how we deal with it. Some people deal with stress by thinking about the problem over and over again without thinking about the solution, this can lead towards negative actions or effects. Some people deal with stress by thinking about the problem and coming up with ways to solve it which leads to decreasing your stress level and a sense of accomplishment.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. I’ve been talking with Dr. Siebert about this via email this past week and am working on a companion piece about the whole stress issue. I’ll let you know when it’s posted.