Ever find yourself in an “I don’t know where to turn” situation? Of course, we have all been in that overload place of too many decisions. A voice inside says, “Just stop and think a minute.” But you reason to yourself that there is no time. Further you will find yourself saying, “I’m too stressed out to think this through carefully. I’ll just do the best I can.”
In fact, taking that time is probably the best option, despite feeling stressed. Stress itself is not necessarily a negative force. When your spirits are in high gear because of a major project, trying to meet a deadline, or burning the midnight oil to leave for a vacation — that stress can be positive, the good stress.
But what happens when there is no end in sight? When there is no let-up on the stress, the body often takes over by saying, “Enough.” This is when headaches, sleepless nights, back problems, addiction to pills, food or alcohol takes over. Taken to the extreme — heart attacks.
This is the bad stress that affects our lives and decision making. There is a way out. We can change the situation or change our response. Sometimes changing the situation is too difficult. Changing our response takes courage, but it is doable. Most often we simply need to cultivate using the word, “No.” While this can be difficult in the workplace, taking the time to suggest an alternative that might be acceptable to a boss or colleagues, can produce positive results. Oftentimes, it even works in relationships.
Copyright 2022 Rita Watson
Adapted from my book, The Art of Decision Making, Lowell House.