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Stressbusters

One doesn’t need elaborate therapy and costly sessions to get relief from stress. A few lifestyle changes can go a long way in helping you lead a stress free and anxiety free life.

Eat right.
Make time for a little exercise.
Utilize relaxation techniques viz yoga, breathing, meditation.
Take out time for yourself.
Spend time on your hobby.
Introspect.
Make out time for your family and near ones.
Set realistic goals.

Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens. And Response is something we can choose. – Maureen Killoran

Why do we get Angry?

Over nothing? No.

Mostly, our anger is caused by – our thoughts, cognitive distortions, things not being in our control, excessive stress, unrealistic expectations and disappointments – both professionally and personally.

Anger can appear irrational but learning to look below the surface can reveal the cause. Identifying the cause is first step towards dealing with anger. Broadly the causes of anger can be categorized in two ways, (a) an irrational perception of reality (cognitive distortion) – where things must be done your way and (b) a low frustration point.

When angry a person experiences high physiological arousal. The pulse quickens, respiration increases, pupils of eyes constrict and adrenal glands pump out hormones. The negative effects of Anger however have more to do with the duration than frequency and intensity. Bearing resentment for a long time can cause more harm than a short burst of anger. Consistent long periods of anger greatly increase susceptibility to a host of diseases like ulcers, heart diseases and anxiety disorders.

Bottom line: We can all get frustrated and angry at times. The point is not to let it get the better of us.

Effective Counseling

Counseling is a two-way street and is a co-operative effort between the one being counseled and the counselor. Making difficult changes in thinking patterns and behavior requires commitment from both parties.

[not-level-visitor-level]Setting up the goals early and clearly defining ways to measure the improvement are essential if one is to get the most out of counseling. Establishing a good rapport with the counselor, gaining mutual trust and having confidence in your counselor makes it easy for you to be completely honest and open about your feelings and thoughts. If the above are missing even after a few sessions, it is best advised to seek a new counselor with whom you feel more comfortable.

Client-Counsellor relationship is the most important factor determining the end results of counseling. So how do you know if your counseling is effective?

Although you are responsible for making behavioral changes, a good counselor will help you identify the obstacles, causes and underlying reasons that are contributing to your anxiety, depression, anger or any other negative thinking patterns. Over time you should be able to observe changes in how you react to situations and changes in your thinking patterns. If these positive influences seem elusive you must discuss it with your counselor, who’ll advise you on how to recognize the roadblocks impeding your progress and how to address them.

Effective counseling is a collaborative effort and the more you are comfortable with each other, more are the chances of you getting all the positives out of it.

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