A Strong Woman Defeats Stress

Happy Monday! Being a working mum myself for the past 40 years, especially running my own business, it’s even more demanding on my life. There are just so many things to look into: the family and the company matters. I had totally no time for myself, juggling between family, business and some social network obligations & etc. Yes, sometimes life is so overwhelming and hectic, and you feel like life is so pressing. I am sure many of you are in the same situation. As the saying: “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” could mean the survival of the fittest. Do you always say “ Life is so stressful”? It’s true when you let stress control your life. It’s not the stress that consumes you, but your reactions towards stress. Let me share with you on how I manage my stress. It’s not always easy to identify the sources of stress as sometimes they are not obvious, and it’s all too easy to overlook our own stress-inducing thoughts, feelings and behavior. For example if you constantly worry about work deadlines. But maybe it’s your own procrastination, rather than the actual job demands, that leads to deadline stress. Remember, do not blame your stress on other people or outside events. Until you accept responsibility for the role you play in creating or maintaining the stress, your stress level will remain outside your control. Learn to own up or you get stressed up. I started a daily stress journal to record my regular stressors in my life and the way I deal with them each time. As you keep a daily stress log, you will begin to see patterns and common themes. Look closely at your habits, attitude and excuses and identify the true sources of stress and think of strategies to cope with them. Unfortunately many people cope with stress in ways that compound the problem. Eg Smoking, Overeating or Undereating, Alcohol, Sleeping Pills, Withdrawals, Outbursts, Physical Violence & etc. These are dampening your emotional and physical health. The healthier ways to manage stress: Think of the 4 As: Avoid, Alter, Adapt or Accept. There is no “one size fits all” solution to managing stress as everyone is unique. Focus on what makes you calm and in control. The people in your life should be a source of reducing stress and not causing you stress (Avoid). Procrastination, the action of ruining your life for no apparent reason (Alter). Always remember, nothing is permanent. No matter how bad the situation is, it will change (Adapt). Do not stress yourself out about things you cannot control or change (Accept). See you next Monday, and I will talk about How Stress Affects Your Look!

Ruby Siah sk

Managing Director of Beaubelle Asia-Pacific

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