When you start to get stressed out does it ever seem like life starts to come at you from all directions?

If you are nodding your head “yes”, you’re not alone.

It can seem like the minute something stressful heads our way, we seem to attract more and more of it. Does stress attract stress?

When we’re stressed out we tend to become more sensitive, and the smaller things that we’d normally handle without much thought become heavier and more stressful.

Stress affects your body AND your mind. It can create a vicious cycle just in itself – the stress spurs worry and negative thoughts that in turn create stress in your body by way of tense muscles, digestive upset, headaches, low energy, etc. Then the physical manifestation of stress creates more mental and emotional stress. It can be really hard to break the cycle.

Here are 5 common mistakes made in dealing with stress followed by some simple actions that can help in how you handle stress and break the cycle.

Many times when we’re stressed out, we only noticed the byproducts or symptoms.

For example, if you’re stressed out because you don’t feel good in the outfit you left the house in, you might think the guy in traffic going a couple miles under the speed limit is stressing you out, when in reality, if you had worn something you felt confident and good in, the slow driver wouldn’t have bothered you at all.

When it comes down to it, we waste a lot of time trying to control things that we don’t have any control over.

A couple big ones is when it comes to the behaviors of others and world events.

Nothing can change unless you’re honest with where you’re at. Just because you don’t want to feel a certain way, doesn’t mean that you can just tell yourself you don’t feel it.

The important thing is acknowledging the feeling, understanding that you don’t want to feel that way, then taking action to feel differently.

When it comes to stress we can be our own worst enemies. Making decisions based in fear or emotional reaction rather than logic has the potential to make any stressful situation a hundred times worse.

You don’t have to do it alone! Sometimes, especially when we’re struggling, it can be the last thing we want to do. Asking for help when you need it is one of the strongest things you can do.

When you’re under stress try this instead:

Take a moment and assess your feelings. Ask yourself what it is you’re truly stressed over. Then ask yourself why.

You’ll know it in your gut when you get down to the real cause of what’s actually causing you stress. It will also help you become completely honest with yourself about your source of stress.

Your actions and reactions are often the only things that are truly controllable. What actions can you take to shift away from a stressful situation? What reactions do you need to be on the lookout for that could make the situation worse?

I always suggest looking at a situation and asking what actions can I take that in a week/month/year from now, I’ll look back and thank myself for the decision or action I made.

This way of looking at what you want for yourself in the future will help take you out of reaction mode and out of any unconscious tendencies to self-sabotage.

Getting an outside (non-emotionally attached) view can be monumental to gain perspective and having help to alleviate what’s creating your stress can be lifechanging. You don’t have to do it alone. Remember, being able to ask for help is one of the strongest things we can do!

I’m having a free workshop to show you how embracing self-love can amazing results on lower stress levels. You can learn more and grab your spot below.

Stress is a normal part of life… but being stressed out is not. If you need further help breaking the stress cycle, I can help.