Psychological Stress

This type of stress is completely in your head and has to do with your thoughts, beliefs, and world view- is the most difficult stress to reduce on your own. There are several reasons for this:

1) Most people require coaching and support to remove psychological stressors. With the cultural stigma attached to mental health services, many choose to forgo the right support for lesser, more socially acceptable treatments. Often this means ignoring the root cause altogether which perpetuates the stress.

2) Recognizing psychological stress takes a high level of awareness that most people do not strive to possess. It’s difficult to challenge your own thoughts and beliefs simply because our ego thinks we are right in our way of thinking. This is known as self-deception. Self-deception limits the amount we challenge ourselves so it too continues any psychological stressors.

3) Many psychological stressors have some deep-rooted events attached to them. To permanently release the stressors it often means discussing, reliving, or accepting a painful memory. Living with the consequences of the stress in the present can often be less painful and easier to manage than finally dealing with one’s past.

4) People don’t recognize or define their pessimistic thoughts (“Why bother.”), self-deprecating talk (“I’m no good.”), negative self-talk (“I’m stupid.”), and irrational fears (“Our country is ruined.”) as a form of stress keeping them from their full potential.

Concrete Actions to Reduce Psychological Anxiety.

1) Work with a coach that understands the implications of psychological stress and can assist you with uncovering yours.

2) Increase your level of curiosity by adding Power Questions into your thought processes.

3) Understand that how you were raised is not how you have to live. Those events in your past impacting your present happened for a greater purpose.

4) Know that you don’t need to immediately adopt a positive attitude. Sometimes that is too much of a change for people. Consider a more neutral way of thinking and begin your thoughts with, “I wonder,” or “Maybe if I”. It often offers room for the transition.

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