Stress Shifting Changed My Life
By Lindsay Leimbach
“Work harder,” “study more, “you need just to apply yourself better” all are phrases I have heard in my family and in my culture to become better, achieve more, or become more successful. I saw my parents and others I admire live by these standards. I believed they were true. I also saw all these people suffer from tremendous stress, always longing for the weekend or holidays. I felt this to be true in myself too.
I knew there was something amiss. We all were working so hard and also had chronic stress as a baseline in our lives. This was when I realized what I was missing. This was my own inner wisdom, the joy of the present moment, and the value of a calm, balanced mindset.
I would have stressed a lot less if I had heard “take a breath and relax for a moment” instead of “work harder” when I ran into a challenge. I would have been a lot less stressed out if I said to myself, “you got this, you have the inner wisdom to figure it out”; instead of, find someone that can solve the issue, i.e., parent, boss, therapist, or an expert.”
Please don’t get me wrong; seeking outside help is very beneficial, but denying that I have the capability to control, be responsible, or create my own life is self-destructive. I realized that is how I thought and that it would not lead me to the inner happiness I desire.
I have learned how to Face my issues without my own inner voice of negative judgment defeating myself. I am now aware and can control my own thinking. So, I won’t get lost in worry, anxiety, and other stressful thoughts. Well, most of the time, I can do this.
And the times my inner voice goes negative, I become aware of it and redirect myself to a positive learning mindset. The skill of Stress Shifting (Facing, Focusing Freeing, Flowing) has helped me create a calm, balanced empowered mindset. I practice this skill of the 4 steps every day. I live a life, not in fear; I live a life of growth, wonder, appreciation, and Flow!