Do you know that feeling? Someone says something to you and you feel yourself getting irritated, withdrawing, or wanting to lash out. Chances are you're doing this from a place of stress. Stress is a physical-chemical reaction to a stimulus. A stress reaction activates our fight-flight-freeze mechanism. Sounds grand and negative, right? But stress doesn't only occur in intense situations; it also arises from small things. For example, when someone communicates in a way that works against you. In short: communication can trigger your stress system. No idea what causes you stress? The Process Communication Model (PCM) helps you recognize it, making stress very predictable.
A fully charged battery as a remedy for stressors
If you know what triggers you, you can also learn how to increase your resilience and navigate life more easily. Research shows that when our own psychological needs are met, we fully recharge our batteries. This makes us resilient to stressors.
3 tips to help with stress
Tip 1: Make sure to regularly recharge your energy by addressing your psychological needs.
Tip 2: Feeling stressed? Take control of your breathing. Deep breaths can lower your blood pressure, helping you stay calm and think clearly.
Tip 3: Recognize your stress. The sooner you can identify stress, the better equipped you'll be to manage it. This helps you build new neural pathways to resist old coping mechanisms.
Photo credit: Mahdi Bafande via Unpslash.com
