Situations that involve stress often entail negative consequences for people, for example, anxiety, which many individuals tend to experience when facing pressure. Yet, the fact is that stress can actually be a source of inspiration and motivation if a person can learn how to channel it in the right direction. The principle that stress is a natural process that everyone can use to their advantage is described in Chapter 2 of Overachievement (Eliot, 2015). This chapter is worth reading because it provides invaluable insight into the ways people can effectively counter their stress-induced anxiety. I chose this principle because people often misunderstand their emotions and feelings, which ultimately hinders their performance. I have developed a lab called “Stress Reframing Exercise,” which implies altering the perception of stress from negative to positive. This will help people view stress as an opportunity to excel in their field and not as a driver of anxiety.
The lab is based on the premise that stress can be used as a powerful tool that can stimulate people to achieve greater heights. The whole process requires a quiet room and 5 to 10 minutes of a person’s time before an important event, which causes them to experience stress-induced anxiety. This person will have to concentrate on the idea that stress and pressure they feel are powerful sensations that can affect their emotional state. Then they will need to imagine that their stress is energy that they can channel in the right direction. By focusing on their current goals, this person will have to choose to use their stress-energy to motivate them to achieve these objectives.
- STEP 1 Choose an activity that is conducive to you experiencing stress and anxiety; it can be speaking in public, performing a song at a concert, or playing an important game.
- STEP 2 Find a quiet place where no one is likely to disturb you and allocate 5-10 minutes of your time before this activity to engage in the “Stress Reframing Exercise.”
- STEP 3 First, recognize the power stress has over your mind and body and acknowledge how it can either invigorate you or crush you with anxiety.
- STEP 4 Then, think of your current goal and acknowledge it; it can be earning valuable points for your team or singing a hard note in a song.
- STEP 5 Next, imagine that stress is an energy that you can choose to spend either on fueling your anxiety or stimulating your desire to achieve your goal.
- STEP 6 Finally, by focusing on your goal, recognize the idea that stress is your best tool for attaining it.
The lab will help people understand the fact that anxiety which emerges every time they enter a stressful situation is not obligatory. It will teach them to change their focus and choose to use stress as an opportunity. By employing this lab, they will learn that they are the only ones in charge of their emotions, which they can control and utilize to their advantage.
Participants in the exercise will discover more about the principle that stress is a natural response of the human body and mind to challenging situations, and anxiety should not be part of it. This learning will be possible through their direct participation in the process of changing their perspective on stress. By successfully carrying out the lab, they will realize that stress can be their best friend.