Chronic Stress

Dealing with an ongoing source of stress.

Let’s explore a source of ongoing stress in your life. Work through the questions below in order.

Q. What is causing you stress?

Be specific. Write it down. Place it out in front of you.

Q. How stressful is it compared with other situations in your life?

On a scale of 1 to 10? Make a note of your score: you will come back to it.

Let’s put this into perspective with other stressful situations you have experienced. Consider other stressful situations you have handled, especially ones you handled with success and pride. Reflect on the way you viewed them and dealt with them.

Q. How stressful is it compared with stressful situations in other people’s lives?

Let’s put this into perspective with other stressful situations people experience. Reflect on the way other people view them and deal with them.

Q. How will this look when you look back in years from now?

We can get so zoomed-in on something that it appears huge in the moment, partly because it is happening now. It fills our mind’s eye and consumes too much attention. Two Zoom-Outs that can help:

• Future Hindsight
• Focusing Illusion

Q. On a scale of 1 to 10 how stressful is it now?

Given you have now zoomed-out on the stressful situation, how stressful would you rate it now? How has your score changed from your first rating?

Q. What are the upsides to the situation?

• What benefits can be had here?
• What opportunities exist?

More ways to zoom-out on stress

• Acute Stress: dealing with acute stress in the moment, and taking control of our stress response.
• Stress and Perspective: the nature of stress and the role of perspective.
• Zoom-Out on Stress: all the stress posts, tools and training in one place.