How to Use Stress to Change Your Life - For the Better

Embrace worry and turn life's unavoidable issues to advantage

Jill Reid

Feb 21

back view of girl with long dark hair in yoga pose looking at orange night sky — Photo from Deposit Photos

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There are a lot of things that have the ability to side-track our lives.

For example, a change in work status, a failing relationship, loss of a loved one, or an unexpected medical condition.

All of these situations often arrive without notice, completely disrupting our daily routines and future plans. And they bring along an unwelcome tag-along …

Stress

That simple word can put the most resilient of us on edge.

When stress and anxiety raise their ugly head, we’re often paralyzed with confusion and doubt. And everything comes to a standstill.

Why? Worry can evolve into a knee-jerk trigger — one that raises our guard and emotions in a negative way.

Frankly, I think it’s a learned response — something we’ve seen in others in the form of fear or anger when exposed to anything that pushes them out of their comfort zone.

The problem? By observing other’s reactions to traumatic experiences, we’ve come to believe an unpleasant situation or person must be responded to with a pessimistic mindset. And a ton of stress.

What if there was another way to channel all that energy — an outlet that may offer a few benefits, if you only knew how to use a worrisome issue to advantage?

Here’s a short excerpt from a story in Real Life that explores a few possibilities you can put into action — right now.

5 Steps to Restore Peace and Harmony When Worry Takes Over Your Life

Are you anxious about the outcome of a project or a looming presentation? Feeling a sense of dread about losing your job, or concerned your significant other has lost interest?

How would you like to end all the worry and start living again?

It’s not only possible, it’s a workable process you can easily integrate into your thoughts — a strong incentive, especially when we consider how crippling the emotion is to a majority of the population.

First, realize that worry — the good kind — isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s a normal function of a healthy brain.

But when it takes over your life and prevents you from participating in activities that are important or productive, it’s a sign worry has evolved into anxiety — a potentially disabling and destructive situation.

And when it reaches this point, you may feel like you’ve lost control — and are no longer able to operate at your peak mental or physical ability.

So how do we cut worry off at the pass and restore a positive mindset?

The key is to make worry work for you.

When you feel worried, you’re experiencing a call to action — a signal from your subconscious telling you something in your life needs attention. For example, maybe you typically go into meetings or social situations unprepared, or you haven’t been as attentive to your partner as you should have been.

And now that feeling of anxiety has set in — a nagging indication a correction is necessary.

Thanks for reading this excerpt from Real Life. For more about the book, watch the YouTube Book Trailer — right here.

In health & happiness,

Jill Reid

Jill Reid is the author of Real Life, Discover Your Personal Truth, Life in Small Doses, and Please God, Make Me A Writer. Her books, videos, and newsletter explore life, relationships, self-improvement, health, and personal success strategies for working through the challenges of everyday life.