{"ops":[{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"If you want to see your life change for the better, and if you find yourself frequently depressed, anxious or experiencing other pervasive negative emotional states that result from stress, you will need to change the way you think and react to ordinary, everyday events in your life that you perceive as stressful. You may need to change something about how you are living to remove this stress, or you may need to change the way you are perceiving the situation. Realize that dealing with complexities is simply part of living a human life. To eliminate them is impossible. The question is, how can you deal with the issues you face and the people around you without becoming unnecessarily stressed, worried, anxious, drained, or fatigued?"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":" "},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"Some people more easily deflect unpleasant experiences and realities than others. They handle these circumstances as “water off a duck’s back,” which means not upsetting themselves about circumstances and people over which they have no control. Others must struggle to achieve this perspective on life; many never do. But all of us are capable of moving towards it by retraining our minds. This requires intellectual autonomy, or in other words, the willingness to stand alone in your beliefs while adhering to the principles of ethical critical thinking. It means keeping things in perspective and commanding your reactions and responses. Of course, in dire circumstances, it may or will be impossible not to be affected by life’s dark side; even then, and in every context, we want to be as little stressed over external circumstances as possible. Through this perspective, you are better able to use your energy to solve the problems that you face, both"},{"attributes":{"color":"#233f8f","bold":true},"insert":" "},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"personally and in terms of contributing to a more civilized society."},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653","bold":true},"insert":"Would you say you frequently feel stressed and tense? "},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"If so, write out in detail why this is so:"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"1. I feel stressed _____% of the time."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"2. The primary conditions in my life that lead to this stress are . . ."},{"insert":"\na.\nb.\nc.\nd.\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"3. The specific things I am doing to cause me to feel stressed are . . ."},{"insert":"\na.\nb.\nc.\nd.\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"4. I need to change the following things in my thinking and my life to reduce my stress level . . ."},{"insert":"\na.\nb.\nc.\nd.\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"5. Based on this analysis, I plan to make the following changes right away . . ."},{"insert":"\na.\nb.\nc.\nd.\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"Be keenly aware of what situations lead you to high levels of stress. To help target specific causes of stress in these situations, "},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653","bold":true},"insert":"work through the following activity each time you feel excessive stress:"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"1. Today the following situation happened in which I felt stressed . . ."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"2. I reacted as follows . . ."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"3. I realize now I could instead have reacted in the following way . . ."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"4. If I had reacted in this more reasonable way, I would have been happier because . . ."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"Come up with a long-term plan to keep from becoming overly stressed. Do you need new amusements or outlets for your stress? If so, detail what these might be and then act upon them in positive ways."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":" "},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"color":"#4c5653"},"insert":"---"},{"insert":"\nThis material in this blog has been slightly modified from the upcoming book: "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Critical Thinking Therapy for Mental Health and Self-Actualization: Workbook"},{"insert":", by Linda Elder, in press.\n"}]}