Tuesday 1 December 2015

Pressure


Pressure is something I find very difficult to manage. Feeling under pressure causes me a lot of stress and anxiety. It is something we all have to cope with everyday...from dealing with exams, work demands, time pressure and so on, it is always among us.

If you're like me, and find being under any type of pressure very overwhelming to comprehend there are strategies that can be learnt to help manage and cope with being in situations of feeling under pressure.

Whilst being in California I've wanted to conquer certain goals, I've wanted to take time to face up to challenges and to learn more about myself. To learn what works for me and what doesn't. This goes from finding what hobbies I enjoy, to realising what causes me stress and anxiety. 

Pressure in my eyes is something that isn't needed. When I look back on circumstances where I've felt under pressure, it has only caused a negative effect, making me feel distressed, anxious, panicked and so on. As I can now see how badly pressure effects me I've started to work on learning how to manage such times; to acknowledge and to accept the feeling and to let it go. 

We all have good and bad moments...I used to find myself getting extremely frustrated when things didn't go completely to plan, therefore putting pressure on  myself and ending with feeling even worse about the situation. But I am now learning to stop worrying so much, to not put pressure on myself, to keep calm and to stay in the moment.

Moreover there are some situations where it is possible to minimise feelings of pressure. For example with time pressures, say if you need to be in a certain place at a certain time, mange your time effectively and schedule your timing so that you arrive early. 

I understand that some feel pressure can be a good thing. They feel it can help with motivation, determination, and staying focused. I do appreciate those who believe this - for my opinion isn't necessarily correct; it comes from from my life experiences, from learning through reading a few books and with speaking to others around me. 

For me motivation, determination, focus and so on, all come from within me...I feel motivated most when I feel good about myself, when I feel confident. I feel focused most when I am in a good mindset and can set myself an achievable goal. Pressure comes from outside situations and only causes me negative effects.

With having learnt this about myself, I can see where in the past pressure was unhelpful and often not even necessary. So it is best for me to stay clear of any situations where I may feel under too much pressure. Of course I will come across times where I find myself feeling under pressure for something I have no control over (for example, running late for something). In such situations I can use what I've learnt - to acknowledge, to accept, and to let go.

I hope me writing this helps in some way. If you're like me and struggle with feeling under too much pressure, just know you're not alone; there are ways to learn to manage and cope with such feelings.

Remember to follow your heart and believe in yourself, you can do it!


Thank you for reading, all my love x



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