I’ve decided to begin REIXEN on a personal note by offering up some advice to those, like me, who desperately need to rework their response patterns to stressors in their daily life. Yesterday, while on an evening stroll, this subject spun through my mind, and instead of selfishly hoarding my thoughts, I decided that sharing them may be of benefit to others. These are points that I am integrating into my life as of now to form better habits in the hope of eventually overcoming increasingly high anxiety levels and communication deficits.
And without further ado:
- See the positive side of every situation, no matter how bad it first appears. All situations are an opportunity for growth and understanding.
- Write down anything learned, no matter how small, each and every day. This will help reinforce the new information in longterm memory.
- Refrain from discussing feelings or openly venting unless requested to genuinely share your opinions or thoughts on a particular topic.
- In relation to the above point, do not discuss work-related stress or stress in your home life. Keep this personal information private.
- If compelled to discuss an issue, write a well-researched article that touches broadly upon the topic without personalizing or emoting.
- All situations have multiple paths to resolution. Come up with four possible solutions to every problem. Start with the quickest and dirtiest.
- Do not allow a situation to be left unresolved and open-ended for an unreasonable amount of time. Address in a timely manner or archive.
- When directly insulted or surrounded with negative energy, do not allow this environment to affect you, your mood, or your self esteem.
- When someone is rude or disrespectful, do not feel obligated to remain polite and courteous, but in the same regard, do not lash out.
- Building a strong network is important for advancement in your career and life. Find time to keep in touch and nurture your friendships.
- Discover new causes to support, and do something good every month to give back to your community and those who need a helping hand.
- Remember that things could always be worse and are worse for a significant portion of the population. Character is built through strife.
How will implementing these points into your life impact your level of satisfaction and contentment? This is an experiment with expected variating results. I think it comes down to where you begin, how much effort you put into truly wanting to change, and how much patience you award yourself to reach a more calm and adjusted state of mind. Rome wasn’t constructed overnight. It took a lifetime to get where you are now, and it will take some time to correct behavioral patterns. Patience is a virtue as is diligence.