What do you say to yourself?
When we are under pressure to complete a job within a time frame, our thoughts can add to that stress.
- I’ll never finish in time
- If I don’t do a good job, I might lose my job
- I wish I could work as fast as Susie
- If I don’t get this done soon, they will take their work somewhere else.
When these and other automatic thoughts stream through our mind they have an immediate response. When these automatic thoughts are negative statements about ourselves and our abilities, we are telling ourselves we are incompetent and our doubts add another layer to the stress of pressure we are experiencing.
We can maximize our energy and work by replacing negative thoughts with positive affirmations:
- I am relaxed, capable and confident.
- As I relax I am thinking clearly and creatively
- I handle whatever challenge is placed before me
- There are answers to every problem
- I ask for and receive help from God and others
- I can do this
- Every time I stop, breathe deeply and slowly, I am letting go of my tension
- I am focusing on my job and maximizing my abilities
- I enjoy what I do and I am happy doing it
- I find something pleasant in everything I do
These affirmations not only reduce stress, but become a self directive enabling us to work at our optimum and maximize our energy and abilities.
One Minute Tension Breaks
We live in a world that is going faster and faster. We are expected to do more and more while maintaining or improving the quality of our work. Competition is fierce. Stress turns to distress and can become the norm.
But when our stress energy becomes distress, it takes a toll. Taking 1 minute tension breaks throughout your day, becoming aware of what you are saying to yourself, turning any negative thinking into positive affirmations, is so easy and effective you will wonder why you didn’t do it earlier.
The body is amazing and it will continue to tense and adjust until our muscles are literally tied up in knots. When you purposefully relax it, you will be able to accomplish so much more.
Marlene Anderson, MA, LMHC, NCC