Like it or not stress is all around us. Everyday we get stressed about something - we cannot get away from stress. However stress can be good for us if dealt with correctly. Unfortunately most people don't deal with stress correctly. When a person is stressed and they face a decision they usually make the wrong choices, which in turn has consequences that can lead to more stressful situations. Sometimes people will say that's just the way it is I have to think on my feet and make decisions however stress makes our decision making skills a little bit fuzzy.

The first thing to realise is that stress is simply a state of mind, which like any other state of mind can be changed. This may seem easy but it is!

What does stressful thinking do to you?

When you are stressed you may not think straight. It can make you think in a negative manner. But it also has an effect on your mind, body and soul. Remember all of these are interlinked - if one element is stressed it affects all other elements. If you continue with the negative and stressful thoughts you will not be able to move forward. k In order to avoid stressful thinking you need to change how you think about stress.

Let's look at these in more detail. How stressful thinking affects the:

Mind - it clouds our judgement. We are not thinking straight and therefore we may make spur of the moment decisions. We make these decisions without really thinking. It's a "heck what is the easiest solution to get out of this mess". Let's take an example. You get up in the morning, things start to go wrong. You miss your train, you don't inform the office, you arrive to work late. You're now under pressure and stressed because a report is due. You start to think the whole world is against you. You shout at a co-worker who then reports you to your manager, you get more stressed and the circle continues.

Ok, so what could you have done differently?

Accept the fact you missed your train. Ring ahead to the office tell them what has happened. While on this call tell them there is a project that you need to get done, and if another team member could get the necessary files out from your desk so the information is ready when you get to work. Your co-worker does something wrong, you stop for a moment and instead of shouting at them you tell them you're under pressure and give them some direction.

You are still having a stressful time but you are dealing with it.

How is your body affected?

You feel more tense. This can lead to physical feelings of pain in your body. You may not sleep well, which has a knock on affect of you being tired and more irritable. You may then over or under eat. Perhaps you will drink more coffee or alcohol. All of these over indulgences will lead to more physical problems.

What about your soul?

I'm a firm believer that your soul, or core essence is affected to. You will feel down on yourself with stress. You will feel not quite right. Your aura will change. The bottom line is stress is not entirely bad for you as you can't get away from it however you need to control it otherwise it may consume you. Look out for other articles from me on how to deal with stress and everyday life.