What to Do When You Feel Stress: Advice From a Therapist for 2024

The urgency to survive forces my decision-making to balance my resources and what I can get
so that tomorrow is not lost.
Stress is an incredible energy when we choose not to suffer. Suffering is a choice everyone has.
I could have easily thrown everything in the mud. Doing so would have given me even more
stress.
It is all about how we perceive the situation. Our perception is the precursor to how we respond
to reality.
Reality, being unpredictable, often throws curve balls.
If we perceive those challenges as a threat, the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in, we
feel stress, and our mind spirals into negative analysis.
Usually, the sound of failure raises its annoying head. So, the shift in perception is a change in
assumption.
Instead of stress being a sign of failure, how I look at it now is a gateway to success. Stress
makes me feel alive.
When I first crash-landed in the jungle, my mind spiraled into failure and fear of death. My life
was always on the line.
It was hard and grueling, and things would go wrong. Regardless of what the day had in store
for me, I had to deal with it anyway.
Nobody was there to say, "It will be okay." I could not just switch the heating on and forget about
it.
I had to carry on. Without momentum, things got hard quickly. Back then, some days left me
without enough water or wood and soaked to my skin.
One thing I noticed changed the way I interact with stress
forever.
Those days were painful. However, they always imparted a sense of contentment, strength, and
achievement by the end.
Today was nostalgic. Like back then, I experienced stress and challenge coupled with strength
and contentment.
The perceptual shift from problem-centric to solution-focused is one I gained from my travels.
Within each challenge, there is a solution waiting to be activated. Everything is a learning curve.
For example, today gave me insight into the work I must do for my water system to function.
This knowledge is helpful to me and also to those I help. Gaining knowledge leaves me grateful.
Simple things I have forgotten, like keeping my backup clean, pre-drying wood, and laying
paving, all contribute to a more excellent vision.
Without stress, none of the above could have the urgency needed for change.
Stress can empower decision-making and problem-solving and upgrade your life if you allow it
to.
When there is only so much you can do in the light, your decisions must be fast.
That goes double when a potential negative outcome puts extra pressure on your shoulders.
Add survival into the mix, and stress becomes an ally, which is why resilience is so important.
Otherwise, what are you going to do?
Are you just going to throw a tantrum, fall in the mud, kicking and screaming?