If you’re feeling stressed out by the market and by the constant time crunch we all face, it’s time to shift gears and dump the stress that you are experiencing.
1. Eliminate “Time”
Several weeks ago, I noticed how often I was saying, “I don’t have enough time to …” It appeared everywhere in my e-mails; it turned up constantly in my conversations; and I felt completely stressed out.
When I noticed how often I was commenting about how busy I was and how little time I had, I decided to do an experiment. For two weeks, I did my best to totally eliminate the word “time” from my vocabulary. The results have been nothing less than remarkable. When I kept affirming how little time I had, I was creating a great deal of stress for myself. By eliminating the word “time” and by stopping the references to how much I have to do, my stress level has dropped by almost 90 percent. Even more surprising, I was accomplishing more due to the reduction in the stress that I was experiencing.
2. Be Careful What You Ask For
The first time I heard about “attraction” was at Coach University in 1996. One of the most important aspects of attraction is to have clarity about what you want to attract. Recently, I was feeling overwhelmed about all the work I had committed to do on top of building a new house and selling our existing home. I kept complaining that I needed a break from the hectic pace. I also didn’t want to deal with the upcoming move. The old adage, “Be careful what you ask for,” kicked in when I broke my arm. As my husband drove me home from the emergency room, he said, “I guess you got the break you’ve been asking for.” I had no choice but to slow down and take time off. I also was unable to help with the move.
3. Clearly State What You Want to Accomplish During Each Segment of Your Day
Not long after I broke my arm, several good friends told me I had to read Esther and Jerry Hicks’ book, “The Law of Attraction.” While some people may find the metaphysical aspects of their book to be controversial, their model provides an interesting approach for reducing your stress.
According to the Hicks, the constant onslaught of new information causes most of us to shut down. We lack focus, which creates a state of confusion. The result is that we spend our lives reacting rather than deliberately creating what happens to us. In fact, multitasking is simply a symptom that we are moving through our lives without focus and without deliberate intent.
The solution is to notice the key activities you engage in each day and to deliberately focus on what you want to accomplish during that activity. For example, if you are driving to an appointment, think about arriving safely on time before you put your key in the ignition. Once you reach your destination, focus on what you want to say and how you would like your clients to receive you. Do this throughout your day. The result is that you eliminate much of the background noise that serves only to increase your stress. Narrowing your focus will help you to be more effective. It will also greatly reduce your stress.
4. See What Is Pleasant to You
The Hicks argue that our thoughts are like magnets. If we focus on the bad news that surrounds us, we increase the probability of attracting more bad news. From a psychological perspective, this is simply a matter of what your brain (i.e. the Reticular Activating System) allows into your cortex. For example, if you buy a new car, you will immediately start to notice all the other people who are driving the same model that you are. You didn’t notice these cars until you made your purchase. The same is true with bad news. When you pay attention to the negative events, you will tend to notice other negative events as well. When you consciously choose to focus on the positive events, you will experience more events that are positive.
The Hicks recommend that you focus on what is pleasing to you. If something makes you feel unhappy, sad or angry, replace that negative thought with one that is pleasing to you. You can do this by listening to a song that makes you feel good, anticipating something pleasant in the future, or recalling a happy memory. The Hicks also argue that those who speak about prosperity attract prosperity. Those who talk about on illness experience illness. Those who focus on violence attract violence. In each situation we face we have a choice. You can reduce your stress by focusing on what is positive or you can increase your stress by focusing on the negative.
I have been playing with this approach for the last couple of weeks, and my aggravation level has decreased dramatically, especially when I’m driving. If you want to reduce your stress, this can be a great place to start.
Bernice Ross, national speaker and CEO of Realestatecoach.com, is the author of “Waging War on Real Estate’s Discounters” and “Who’s the Best Person to Sell My House?” Both are available online. She can be reached at bernice@realestatecoach.com or visit her blog at www.LuxuryClues.com.
