The first thing to understand about stress is that another person or your circumstances never cause it. As long as you believe this and allow your thoughts to confirm this delusion you will continue to experience stress. Ask yourself the following question, if I give ten people the same difficult task would all ten people respond the same way. Of course not, some people may be stressed but others could thrive at the challenge. Our response in these situations is based on how we view the world, our perceptions. In order to change our experience we need to change our perceptions.

One way of starting this process is to notice how you are feeling in your body and what your emotional state is during stress. This will require awareness and willingness on your part to make the shift. For example when you are stressed, what do you feel in your body? Perhaps tension, a headache or tightness in the belly, maybe you begin to sweat. Then you notice that you are slightly agitated, anxious or maybe even a little angry. These are just examples you must tune in to how you feel in each stressful situation because you could feel slightly different is each new situation. Once you begin to notice these feelings, you can become more aware of when you first start to become stressed. As soon as you start to feel stress coming on you need to shift your energy by taking a deep breath, relaxing your body, belly and your thoughts. If you have to leave the room and go another area to do this then do it, otherwise just breathe deeply.

Then notice your perceptions and thoughts around what was happening just before you started feeling stressed. You will begin to notice that these thoughts and perceptions are not for your highest good. Learning this will help you begin to shift your perception and this will automatically shift your experience. Going forward you will see just how your thinking and perceptions cause your stress. Over time, you will be able to let go of them and eventually with practice you will see that what use to stress you out will no longer be an issue. You have taken what you thought was a problem and transformed it into an opportunity to further your journey of awakening.