It’s been a rough week, possibly even a rough month. Some clients claim it’s been a rough few years! I’m not about to debate what constitutes rough, but I will say there are a whole bunch of people out there under a whole lot of stress. Some days there is no way around it, but there is always a way to handle it.
Ugh, another thing for my to do list. Maybe. The problem is that if you don’t deal with it, it accumulates in your body and that’s how a rough day can turn into a rough year. There’s an easy way to just let it out that doesn’t involve creating heated politics in the workplace or being a total grump at home.
Write it down.
If you’re into the old school paper journal that will work fine. For those of you who haven’t put pen to paper in many years, keeping a log in your computer or other device is just as good. The point is to release all of your frustrations in a focused way. There is no length requirement; whatever feels best to you.
The purpose of writing it down is to guide you in identifying what’s really triggering your stress. There are a lot of thoughts, beliefs, and feelings swirling in our unconscious mind that contribute to both our stress levels and how we react to situations. The objective is to ditch your focus on the writing itself (punctuation. spelling, etc.) and allow yourself to write without stopping. I refer to it as a daily dump to my clients. You are literally dumping the unnecessary contents from your brain.
It may feel a little awkward at first. My coach mentor, Abigail Steidley, has created starter questions to help get you going with the process. Here are a few:
• Recently, who have you felt angry with in your life?
• The most frustrating thing in my life right now is…
• I hate it when…
• What is your worst fear?
• The most stressful thing about today is…
• I notice I feel stressed about… frequently… because
• I put a lot of pressure on myself to be/do
Try this exercise daily or as close to daily as possible. As you work with this practice, you may notice more clarity in your thinking and a reduced amount of stress.
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