Little Black Dress | Week 1 Self-Reflection

 

Stress can be both a positive and negative force. A certain amount is good—it can stimulate growth, change, and creativity. But too much can interfere with your ability to function.

We do know that women often cope with stress in different ways than men. Eating or drinking too much in an attempt to cope with stress is all too common and is clearly counterproductive to a healthy and fit lifestyle. Therefore, it is important to understand what causes stress in your life, how you react to stress, and how to effectively cope with it.

Much of stress can be eliminated with a change in the way you look at things. Altering the way you conceptualize the events you find stressful (viewing them as a “challenge” instead of a “threat,” or an “opportunity” instead of a “crisis,” for example) can actually make you feel less threatened and stressed.

STRESS: A DEFINITION

Stress has two ingredients: stressors and the stress reaction. Stressors can be external factors (example: heat, cold, loud noises, an argument with a friend) or internal (example: personal thoughts or feelings). They can be positive (example: becoming a grandparent for the first time) or negative (example: getting divorced, losing a loved one, having too many things to do). What is considered a stressor varies widely from woman to woman. Review the following list to identify your sources of stress. Select the number that best describes your reaction to the stressors noted below 0 = not a source of stress; 1 = stressful; 2 = very stressful

Environment

I worry about my safety. I’m troubled by neighbors or friends. I don’t like the daily grind.

Life Events

I’ve been divorced/widowed recently. I moved recently (or am planning to move). I became a grandparent recently.