Stress - Good or Bad?

By Zig Ziglar

The dictionary says that stress is “to force or drive.” It’s “urgency, pressure, importance.” It’s “focus, concentration of attention, to emphasize.” When we look at the entire dictionary definition of stress, we learn that stress can be either good or bad. Too much stress will cause you to lose sleep, make you edgy and irritable and give you high blood pressure. If you don’t feel any stress, it may mean that you’re not putting any significant importance on what you’re doing. That can be as bad as too much stress. It seems that a balance in our life is the key as far as stress is concerned.

How do we handle relatively minor stressful situations (temporary increase in work load, slightly overdrawn at the bank, car threatening us with a repair bill, etc.) and adjust it to the proper level? This is one area where our feelings are extremely important. Most of us can sense when we’re feeling too much stress, so let’s look at some methods for stress reduction. (The real “biggies” like divorce, bankruptcy, abuse, unemployment, etc., are more serious and will be the subject of a future article in this newsletter.)

First, we need to identify the cause of stress. Is it a misunderstanding with a co-worker or family member? Is it getting so involved in our responsibility that we lose our sense of perspective for the everyday facets of a balanced lifestyle? If so, what can we do about it? First, if it’s a people problem, take time to talk it out. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you’re wrong, admit it and apologize. You won’t “lose face” – you’ll gain respect because you’ve acknowledged that you’re wiser today than you were yesterday. Second, find a pressure release. Take time for yourself, even if for just a few minutes. Some quiet reading, a good walk, some relaxation, a shift of scenery can work wonders. Take these steps to relieve that stress and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.