A stressor is defined as ‘a stimulus that causes stress’. (Merriam Webster)
To reduce stress in your everyday life, the work seems clear: To eliminate the stimulus that is causing stress.
And yet, ‘stimulus’ is a normal and necessary part of everyday living. Life would be very dull if you avoided all the stimuli that resulted in stress.
Thus you learn to cope and live with the stress. And yet the faster the world changes, the greater the pressure to cope.
Stress ‘triggers’ are memories, beliefs and fantasies.
Memories, beliefs and fantasies get activated by stimulus in your everyday life. These memories, beliefs and fantasies trigger your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations.
In some cases, this is a pleasant experience.
At other times, it feels distressing. And if you encounter the stimulus repeatedly, you experience the same stressful reaction each and every time.
“Every time I have a report due, I panic and my heart races.”
“My workload is too demanding and yet I automatically say ‘yes’ when there is a project to be done.”
You can shift the stress trigger.
Memories, beliefs and fantasies are energetic in nature and you can shift this energy so that it no longer triggers the same stressful response each and every time.
You can shift the trigger so that the stimulus no longer results the same patterns of stressful reactions.
You feel a greater sense of ease and clarity to focus on what is important in your life.
The Healthy Living Plan offers a guided approach to get in touch with what is important in your life, recognize the blocks and resolve the triggers so that your energy is available to act – not react.