Stress

Life is not always easy. Days do not go as planned. Events and planned actions do not go perfectly. A deviation from any plan can cause stress. Any plan can cause stress. There are stress-provoking parts of life nearly everywhere we look. Financial stress. Relationship stress. Work stress. Health stress. Any part of your life can cause any amount of stress for any reason. Becoming stressed out will happen in life. It will happen because there are things you care about. When you care about something, you worry that something will not go as planned, that something will go wrong, and that you will not be happy with the results. All of these feelings promote stress. Stress is not simply stress. Stress is a byproduct of caring. If you did not care, you would not stress. It is that simple.

You are stressed about presenting a project in front of the class. You are stressed because you care what your classmates think of you. You are nervous to public speak because you care what people think of you. The fear and stress of this moment draw their power from caring.

You are stressed about getting a promotion at work. You are stressed because you care about providing for your family. You are nervous how you will continue to provide if you do not receive the promotion. The fear and stress of this moment draw their power from caring.

You are stressed about playing in the game tomorrow. You are stressed because you care about the outcome. You are nervous you will play poorly and cause your team to lose. The fear and stress of this moment draw their power from caring.

Three examples from three different areas of life. All examples are stress and fear-inducing environments, but all can be drawn back to a natural “care” for the outcome. Caring leads to stress. By understanding this framework we can reframe the stress we feel. Instead of letting stress overcome our ability to perform, we can use stress as a reason to perform. We are stressed because we care. We care because we desire a positive outcome. The positive outcome will come through the performance we stressed out about. It is a circular loop that draws the best out of us when reframed.

Stress happens. Stress happens because we care. Understanding the reason why we are stressed out about something gives us power over the stress and anxiety we feel. Instead of it crippling our minds and our actions, we can take control and use it to succeed.