Choosing to be Different
I have written before about stress and the added pressures we are all living with, not only in our personal environment but the global one too. We never know what’s going to happen anywhere at any time, due to the seemingly random actions of others. On a less global commentary and bringing it home to the personal, of late I have been struck by how many people are succumbing to stress that requires them to endure long periods of withdrawal from everything (work, personal responsibilities, social community). I’ve been wondering what makes a person snap to the point they cannot cope at work or with certain responsibilities anymore. What persistently goes on in the mind that forces one into that state of disability where stability becomes overwhelmingly threatened by their inability to manage?
As someone (like many others) who has been to the farthest point of non-functioning due to stressful circumstances, I do understand much that accompanies this type of non-functioning. However, understanding this, but also believing that many people retreat from their everyday work lives only to return to the same situation once they feel better, may in fact be a call to action for some serious soul searching about the various options that may be available to them to make some all around drastic life changes. Stress in many cases may in fact be the soul crying out for change.
Change is scary I’ll admit, but it is absolutely necessary for our existence. We are always experiencing change; we just don’t call it that when things appear to be going badly. There is no bad change. In normal everyday stressful situations (i.e. experiencing stress not as a result of a death or other sudden difficulty), it behooves us all to take stock of where we currently are and compare that to where we feel compelled to go and start making some serious decisions to eliminate all stress from our life. Time off in and of itself will not always change a bad situation.
Making the choice to change requires more than daydreaming and hoping we’ll win the lotto. It demands that we actively participate in the process of change by getting involved in the adventure before us; mentally, intellectually, emotionally and physically preparing ourselves for what we want. For those individuals who are being hit with layoffs and other unexpected changes to their work and/or personal environment, I suggest it is the perfect opportunity to rev up the imagination and start exploring options. While stress leave or recoiling into isolation may be a temporary solution to a longer-term problem, it is not always enough to solve the core dilemma. Developing the skills that help us remain master of the switch that controls our life is essential to repeatedly and successfully manifesting positive outcomes.
My heart to yours,
Vonne
