Almost all of us are experiencing periods when we are being pushed to the edge. If this is one of those years for you, you can either get really depressed and think your world has come to an end, or look at it with a different perception—as though it could be very beneficial. Let’s explore both ways of seeing this stressful time.

The Disadvantages of Being Stressed

• IT CAN MAKE US TEMPTED TO CONTINUE OR INCREASE OUR USE OF STRESS RELIEVERS

Stress relievers can be anything that we use for the purpose of numbing or desensitizing anxiety.  This could be food, pills, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, caffeine, binge-watching, video games, texting, social media, impulse buying, or hundreds of other things.

The downsides might be that it often numbs the good feelings along with the bad, make us dependent on it, and could get expensive.

• IT CAN CAUSE US TO FEEL THREATENED

Stress can easily throw us out of our comfort zone, making us feel unsafe, insecure, and on guard.

• IT CAN KEEP US FOCUSED ON WHAT HAPPENED OR WHAT IS HAPPENING

Stress has a tendency to keep us focused on events, situations, or problems that trigger anxiety, which is usually anything we can see, hear, taste, touch, or smell (3rd dimension). This distracts us from the real source of the stress which is mental, our thoughts and feelings (4th dimension mindset).

• IT CAN MAKE US WANT TO BLAME OTHERS FOR WHAT’S HAPPENING TO US

Once we focus on what happened or is happening, it’s easy to cast blame for it. Placing blame usually increases fear and anger, which often makes our experience intensify.

• IT CAN ESCALATE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

If we are not numbing or desensitizing our feelings, then it’s easy to feel worried, overwhelmed, depressed, sad, and borderline hopeless at least some of the time.

• IT CAN MAKE US WANT TO KEEP SECRETS

In order to relieve our stress, we might be inclined to keep secrets or not tell the truth to certain individuals. The problem with this is that it can easily become a habit of misleading others, which brings on loneliness, and mistrust, and often decreases our self-worth.

• IT CAN CAUSE US TO RETHINK OUR GOALS OR PLANS

Instead of trying to control our future, stress causes us to re-examine and often change our goals in life, especially the long-term ones.

As you can see, the disadvantages of being stressed can easily turn our lives upside down. Now for the advantages…

The Advantages of Being Stressed

It Can Help Us…

• Get focused on what we truly want to emotionally experience in life.
• Have the courage to get out of our comfort zones.
• Start relying more than ever on a higher source (God, Higher Power, Spirit, Divine, Universe, Guides, or whatever term you want to call it).
• Learn how to appreciate the little things.
• Realize we all are on our own hero’s journey.
• Take time to really notice our thoughts and feelings.
• Eliminate all the doubtswe have about ourselves.
• Get rid of our ego (the 3rd dimension) and operate mostly from a 4th dimension mindset.
• Learn how to forgive ourselves, and others.
• Do away with our happiness sabotagers, such as the need to blame and not tell the truth.
• Rethink our entire lives.
• Realize this stressful world is not going back to normal for some time. It will shape into something better.
• Address addictions or habits we have been using to numb our feelings.
• Work on feeling worthier and finally feel “good enough.”
• Follow our intuition or our inner guide more often.
• Do our inner work more than ever before.
• Stay focused on unconditionally loving others no matter what they say or don’t say, or do or don’t do.

Especially during trying times, it’s difficult to believe that everything that happens works towards us having a better life in the long run. All we have to do is see it that way.

___

I have three QUIZZES that may help you during this period…

Is the Changing World of 2023-2024 Stressing You Out?

How Ready Are You to Get Your Dreams?

How Often Do You Listen to Your Intuition?

Or there is lots of information in the Inner Work section and the Intuition section on my website that could help.

And, if you need an advisor to help you on your hero’s journey, contact Vickie Champion for an initial coaching and consulting session at a discounted price.