When it comes to coping with stress, attitude is everything. Those who
tend to view stress as normal, necessary, or a challenge to themselves
tend to cope a lot better than those who view it in a negative light. This
even equates to physiological changes. Those people who experience
stress as positive often have increased blood flow to the brain, muscle,
and limbs – very similar to the effects of aerobic exercise. Those who
feel threatened by it, however, typically experience an erratic heart
rate and constricting blood vessels. Their blood pressure rises, and they often become agitated, raise their voices or experience lapses in
judgment.

“Stress is paradoxical,” says researcher Alia Crum. “On one hand, it
can be the thing that hurts us most. On the other, it’s fundamental to
psychological and physical growth. Our belief system, the lens through which we choose to view and approach stress, will shift the outcome.” (Shellenbarger, 5-8-2013) Simple changes in attitudes and expectations about stress can help us foster the more constructive kind of stress.

A perfect example of this is a roller coaster. Is the experience of riding
a roller coaster an enjoyable thrill or an agonizing trauma? The answer
will depend on your attitude towards the experience. Those who go
into the situation with excitement and anticipation experience joy. Those who view it in a negative way tend to experience dread, not just
leading up to the event, but often during the experience itself.

Changing your attitudes toward stress

Here are some suggestions that will help you adopt the right perspectives and proper psychology toward the stress you experience in your life:

1. View stress as both unavoidable and necessary
Many people are crippled by stress because they go about life assuming they shouldn’t have any. While some of us may have too much, it’s
important to approach stress as a natural part of our existence:

·    Remind yourself of the positive uses for stress (i.e., it keeps us alert).

·    Recognize that everyone experiences stress (not just you)

·    And that you have the ability to handle it.

2. View it as a challenge
Look upon stressful situations as challenging rather than debilitating.
Think about the stories and fables we love to tell. Not one of them is
about heroes who sit around all day and enjoy the easy life. They’re all
about people who met what life threw their way and overcame challenges. Think of your life like a storybook. The stress you face is just one more twist in the plot that makes you a more compelling and
interesting character.

3. Draw inspiration from those who overcome obstacles
One study showed employees different video-training programs of
athletes, leaders and professionals accomplishing great things in the
face of daunting challenges. It was found that this helped them change
their stress from bad to good. It also resulted in healthier physiological
responses during a difficult public-speaking exercise, with participants exhibiting only modest levels of stress hormones. (Shellenbarger, 5-8-2013) You can do this yourself: Search out quotes or stories of people rising to the challenge, and keep them around for a quick attitude adjustment whenever you start to experience excessive stress.

4. Maintain realistic expectations about life
If only people could go about life with a realistic attitude towards the
world, they could instantly drop their stress load by half or even more.
Many of these concepts are discussed in further detail throughout our
other literature, but here is a quick list of some realistic attitudes that
will encourage you to take a healthier approach towards stress:

1.    All people will act selfishly or inconsiderate from time to time.

2.    All people will have goals that may differ (or even compete) with
my own.

3.    Others will hurt me, and not because they’re evil or mean spirited.

4.    I will make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean I’m a flawed person.

5.    Life is not meant to be easy; it’s a struggle for survival.

6.    The world doesn’t promise anyone a worry-free or stress-free life.

7.    Conflict isn’t personal; it’s a byproduct of competing goals and
desires, not a personal judgment or referendum against me.