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The 4 main Stress factors and how you can reduce their impact

Written by: Christiane Pohl

Article Overview: How to live better by making small adjustments in your diet and life style. How to influence your cognitive filter and raise your trigger factor.

The 4 main Stress factors and how you can reduce their impact

We all get stressed at times and that is not always a bad thing. In fact stress can often be a great motivator. It helps you sharpen your mind, become more creative and get moving.

The problem starts when we are feeling stressed too often and don't allow our system to relax, to take a break, to re-charge its batteries. Chronic stress negatively affects our health, our performance, our relationships, our life.

I am in the business of helping people to stress less and manage easier in life and at work. For most people I meet the biggest hurdle they are facing is to actually get started. Everyone loves to talk about how stressed they are, but few take the next step and actually do something about it? Why not?

Stress is very addictive, stress keeps you trapped in a vicious circle of feeling that there is never enough time to start and you are getting more stressed by just thinking about it. However, if YOU are ready now to stress less and invite more health and success into your life then read on…



The 4 main stress factors and how you can tackle them

1. Diet – we are what we eat

Caffein, sodas, sugar, processed foods, sweeteners, alcohol are all stressors over a period of time. They make you feel good for a short time and once their effect has worn off you start to feel worse.

Solution: Reduce their intake. Drink only one cup of coffee, or drink a fresh fruit juice mixed with water to get going. To boost your system and to reduce the effects of stress ensure that your diet includes Vitamin C and B6, zinc, magnesium and Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Eat 3 meals a day. You may want to consult a nutritional coach for advice or take a vitamin/mineral supplement for 3 months.

2. Life style

Not enough time, too much work, multitasking, being overwhelmed, traffic, noise…feel free to add your own stressors. Most of my clients struggle with a conflict in time management. The demands of family and the work place are one of the key factors for their stress.

Solution: LOOK deliberately at everything you are doing – don’t be reactive, be proactive and identify where you can make changes. Take time and IDENTIFY one area, one behavior where you can and will make a change today.

3. Cognitive filter (the process of thinking, learning, judging)

We each have our own Filter that determines how we deal with stress. This filter looks at physical, mental, emotional and spiritual input from both yourself and external factors and creates your prison through which you view the world. Your filter will include your perceptions of your own limitations, your previous experiences, your ideas and judgments about life, other people and yourself.

Solution: Your cognitive filter is very profoundly influenced by your spiritual practice; and I am not talking about religion here, but rather about a philosophical framework that helps you to stay grounded and cope with life’s ups and downs. What is your philosophy? Which framework would help you to support your philosophy or develop a new one? - Political or environmental engagement, embracing religion’s teachings, practicing meditation or yoga, engaging in community work? Pick one and stick with it. Or adopt this simple rule for a start: No games…No tricks…No lies

4. Trigger Factor

The drop that gets the barrel to overflow, the one incident that starts the decline, the factor that pushes you over the edge, that is the moment when your body crosses the threshold from being able to cope to loosing the battle.

Solution: When the stress load from the other 3 factors is decreased then the threshold for your trigger factor is so much higher, your system will be more resilient to stress. Commit yourself to taking time out on a regular basis to give your body and mind a chance to relax. Try out some relaxation techniques like deep breathing, massage, yoga, meditation, listening to calming music, smiling more or simply having a relaxing bath. Integrate them into your weekly schedule.

with my best wishes for your success,

Christiane Pohl

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Article Tags: diet, stress factors, stress management



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