The Importance of Stress

Stress is inevitable. We care about too much in today’s world. Rightly and wrongly so. Some of the things we care about are not worth our attention and time. Some of the things we care about are worth our attention and time. But whether it’s worth our time or not, if we care about it, it has the possibility to cause us stress at any given moment. And as we all know, stress can be difficult to deal with. It can make us feel restless and mentally drained. It can make our minds move at 100mph, leaving us struggling to slow our thoughts down and think clearly.

But the most important thing stress does for us is urge us to take action. Action, always the difference-maker!

Responsibility = response-ability

We all have many different responsibilities in our lives. Some that are exerted on us by others, and some that we put on ourselves. Examples of responsibilities exerted onto us by others include: bills/payments, deadlines at work, and commitments to our partners. Examples of responsibilities exerted onto us by ourselves can include: writing a blog, exercising at the gym, or arranging that meeting with an old friend.

Responsibility can cause people to feel stress. There’s pressure to perform, and pressure to do. For many it can be difficult and overwhelming. Especially if they consider themselves incapable of doing an adequate job or if they have a lot of responsibilities in their lives. However responsibility can be a blessing. Stress can be a blessing. This is because it can give you power. Responsibility is all about your ability to respond to the given situation you are in. It’s your ability to respond to life.

I want you to think of the responsibilities you have in your life, especially those that cause you stress, as your response-ability. How can you respond to the situation you’re in to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties? What type of response is likely to get the best result? It’s important to look at responsibility (and stress) like this because this type of thinking greatly encourages and acknowledges personal power. It give you control. Suddenly the power has been transferred to you. It’s in your hands. The solution is in your ability to respond.

Take your power back

Use your stress to your advantage. Take your power back. The feeling of restlessness that is often present when suffering from stress is a sign to react. It’s a sign to respond and take responsibility for whatever situation is causing you grief, and to solve it.

The next time you feel stressed ask yourself “why?”. Then more importantly, ask yourself “how can I respond to this stress to ensure I overcome it?”

This will make all the difference in your response-ability.

Thank you.

Tony.