We already know that we can’t avoid stress altogether.  But when stress gets out of hand, it morphs into a problem called stress disorder.  Stress disorder is something like a bad habit that needs to be broken.  You first need to recognize the disorder, then identify its causes and finally replace the bad habit with a good habit.

A good example of a stress disorder would be if you have a problem with perfectionism – such as needing everything to be “just so” before you can move forward with any project.  You get freaked out if the formatting on your portfolio isn’t just right and the next thing you know you’re tearing your hair out. 

Maybe you’re a victim of analysis paralysis?  You can’t make a decision to go forward on anything unless you know all of the details and possible repercussions, but you have to make a decision by Friday!

In both cases, recognize the disorder – perfectionism or analysis paralysis or whatever the case – that keeps you from going forward on a project.  Then identify what causes you to need to be perfect (maybe it’s that you’re afraid you’ll lose your job if you don’t do it perfectly or you analyze something to death because you made a bad decision before that cost you).  That prior experience has evolved into a bad habit. 

So next, you have to replace that wrong habit with a better one such as, “I am doing my best and that’s good enough.”  Don’t be a slave to your stress disorder.  Do your best and learn to just let it go.

A Fun Fact...


Powered By WPFacts