People often ask me how to relieve stress, especially when they are facing a failure of some sort. I usually ask them some basic questions to determine their attitude toward stress. Some common questions are: Does the phrase “Failure is NOT an option” stress you out? Is failure really a bad thing? Does failing at something reflect negatively on you? Can failure actually be a good thing? These are just a few of the many questions.
Fortunately, this stress management tip won’t fail you, and you really will learn how to relieve stress during failure!
First, realize that failure is NOT a negative. In fact, it is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all. In this this case, you have failed by default.
I also assert that failure can actually be a good thing. I’ve learned that it is far better to try to do something and not reach your expectations than not try at all. The reason is that as you continue to try, you learn more about your strengths and limitations. Only then do good choices become easier and more natural. Without realizing it, failing to try something you would really like to do promotes negativity, a cousin of stress.
How to Relieve Stress: It’s All About Mindset
Remember, with the risk of trying comes the reward, which always results in learning of some kind. In the final analysis, something is lost when we live without trying—since we learn more from our failures than from our successes.
Therefore, failure really is, in large part, only an attitude—not an outcome.
Tip: Ask yourself: Would you rather be disappointed by trying and learning—or by not trying and thereby restrict your learning?
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Live Without Stress
Teaching, parenting, and simply living can be stressful at times. That’s why I wrote my newest book Live Without Stress: How to Enjoy the Journey. If you’re looking for stress management advice, check it out. The book is available as a print book (Buy one and get a second copy free to give as a gift), as an eBook, and as an audio book at PiperPress.com.
