How to Master Your Stress Controls

How to handle stress at work?
Let’s try this Cognitive Diffusion technique.
It’s gonna help you handle your stress at work better.

1.    Let’s say you’re feeling stressed about an upcoming deadline.
To start, pay attention to what’s going on in your mind.
Just try to figure out what you’re thinking.

For example, you might be thinking:
→    “I’m never going to finish this on time”

This thought keeps coming up
And it’s making it hard to focus on your task.
So, to start, just notice it.
Don’t try to push it away or ignore it.
Simply recognize that it’s there.

2.    Now, label the thought for what it is — a thought.

So, instead of saying:
→    “I’ll never finish this on time”
you might say:
→    “I’m having the thought that I won’t finish in time”

Did you see what we did?
We’ve labeled your thought.
We’ve created a little distance between you and the thought.
So now it’s easier to manage.

3.    Now, let’s turn that thought into an object you can see in front of you.
Imagine your thought as a heavy book sitting on your desk.

By “your thought” I mean the previous one:
→    “I’m never going to finish this on time”

Just imagine it as a heavy book sitting on your desk.
It’s big, thick, and maybe a bit dusty, right?
It’s also taking up space and making it hard to focus on your work.
Did I guess right?

4.    Now, take a moment to observe this book.
Notice its details:
→    The size
→    The color
→    The texture

Maybe it has big, bold letters on the cover spelling out your worry.
Just observe it without trying to change it or get rid of it.
It’s just a book, separate from you, right?
 
5.    Now, imagine the book slowly moving away.
Picture yourself picking it up and placing it on a shelf.
Or just imagine it gradually shrinking until it’s just a tiny speck.
The thought is still there, but it’s not dominating your space.
It’s no longer taking over your attention.
It’s just a tiny speck with no power.
You have the control.

This is how we handle stress when it comes knocking.