Stress is a driving force

For anyone who may be feeling a lot of pressure, I want you to take a deep breath–right now. Inhale. Hold. Now, gradually exhale and really try to release that air slowly. I know that you may still have tasks you haven’t gotten to, deadlines you need to meet, or failed to meet your previous expectations. Add everything together and any person would feel overwhelmed. During this time, negative self-talk often has a chance to sneak into our peace-seeking minds. Don’t let them! Push your thoughts or urgent goals of fulfilling all of your responsibilities aside, just for a moment.

First, acknowledge that you feel stressed. Normalize any other negative emotions that you are experiencing. Regardless of what you want to reach in life, your journey doesn’t stop here. It never will. In fact, stress can propel you toward a positive direction, as long as you let it. Use stress to your advantage, such as a motivation—a driving force—to keep pushing you through. You become more aware of the challenges you are facing, places you need to reach, yourself , and other people. The process of coping with stress itself can make you become more resilient and patient, as you find various ways to calm your negative emotions. Thus, stress can actually create learning experiences and opportunities to grow as a person.

“Stress should be a powerful driving force, not an obstacle.”

—Bill Phillips