When I've gotten stressed in the past, or as part of previous ritual, I've gone through long walks through the woods. I find it relaxes me, and one of the most telling things is how I drive afterward -- I'll have to push myself to get it above 30 MPH.
Today I faced a challenging situation at work that for most people would be very stress-inducing. One of my bosses was involved and I could tell it was stressful for him, and I worried that he might escalate at one point and make the situation worse. Thankfully, he did not.
It had been a few months since I'd been in a situation of this caliber, but when it ended and I left, I found myself calm, relaxed, and pushing to get my car past 30 MPH. I'd put myself into a different mindset -- like that of walking through the woods -- and effectively reduced my stress in defiance of the situation.
Sometimes I forget how good I am at that. Usually during work in the mornings, I'm in a state of hyperalertness, trying to take in everything so nothing gets missed, and all mini-crises are handled. I'm thinking tomorrow, however, I'll treat the shift as I treated the situation today, and see if I can't come out of work regularly more relaxed than I enter into it.
Today I faced a challenging situation at work that for most people would be very stress-inducing. One of my bosses was involved and I could tell it was stressful for him, and I worried that he might escalate at one point and make the situation worse. Thankfully, he did not.
It had been a few months since I'd been in a situation of this caliber, but when it ended and I left, I found myself calm, relaxed, and pushing to get my car past 30 MPH. I'd put myself into a different mindset -- like that of walking through the woods -- and effectively reduced my stress in defiance of the situation.
Sometimes I forget how good I am at that. Usually during work in the mornings, I'm in a state of hyperalertness, trying to take in everything so nothing gets missed, and all mini-crises are handled. I'm thinking tomorrow, however, I'll treat the shift as I treated the situation today, and see if I can't come out of work regularly more relaxed than I enter into it.
