If I Know I’m Stressed, How Do I “Erase” It?

The Goal – to get from “AAAUUUGGGHHH” to “Ahhhhhh”. But when it comes to stress, we all “erase” it in different ways.

Before I learned these insights, whenever I was stressed, my tactic was to keep pushing through… don’t stop… don’t quit… make progress. But I found it only exacerbated the stress and complicated the issues involved. My brain got fuzzy, my emotions became overwhelmed and my body felt exhausted.

Now, when I feel that overwhelmed response and those emotions rising, I know I need to STOP. I usually choose to go sit in my small cozy sitting room, in my small cozy recliner with a small cozy fire going in the fireplace (I live in Colorado), surrounded by my favorite books. I lean back a few minutes, pray, do some deep breathing, reflect, then write on the notepad I keep next to the recliner. Peace and clarity almost always come.

But that is me… that response would simply compound the stress for my husband. Which is why understanding how each of the DISC Styles prefer to alleviate stress is so important. A special thanks to Extended DISC, Inc., for their insights:

• D-Style: Get more control, act independently, focus on goals
• I-Style: Be with people, interact with people, influence people
• S-Style: Share in planning, find stability, a predictable and cozy environment
• C-Style: Get more information, clarify roles, get feedback

Like last Tuesday’s post, DISC Styles and Being Stressed Out – How are They Unique?, on how DISC Styles respond to stress, the goal is to be aware, then encourage both ourselves and those around us to DO what will best alleviate the stress we are experiencing. I want to challenge you to pick one of the responses listed above and see what makes a difference for you.

It could result in a transformation from “AAUUUGGGHHH” to “Ahhhhhh” and be a positive step to “erase” your stress.

Question: Have you tried out one of your Style’s responses listed above? Have you encouraged others to give one of the tactics recommended for their Style a try? What was the result? I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations. Please share with me in the comment section below.