By Jim Hunt for The Shinnston News & Harrison County Journal
I recently read an article on ways to increase happiness and live a longer life. One of the key takeaways was that reducing stress is essential for longevity. Like many people, I immediately thought, “That’s easier said than done!” Stress seems to be woven into every part of our lives, and the time it consumes can feel overwhelming. Family conflicts, job challenges, and political discord all provide plenty of fuel for chaos. I doubt anyone can say they don’t have stress, but the key factor seems to be how we handle the situations that trigger it.
I remember, as a young man, how furious I’d get if someone cut me off in traffic or skipped ahead of me in line. I’d dwell on that brief, ten-second moment for hours, letting it overshadow everything good that had happened that day. It would affect my work, too—I’d become short-tempered with people who had nothing to do with the incident but had to suffer my bad mood.
The truth is, stress often stems more from our own insecurities and self-doubt than from others’ actions. For example, why is it that when we’re called into the boss’s office, we immediately assume we’ve done something wrong? Or when a police officer pulls us over for speeding, we panic and start making excuses instead of acknowledging that it was our mistake?
Read more: https://shinnstonnews.com/eat-that-frog/
