What triggers your stress?

What triggers your stress? – Monday Mindset Check-in

For many professional women, it’s the little (or not-so-little) moments:

- The commute that eats into your time, especially when the train is delayed/cancelled or there’s heavy traffic on the road.

- When you arrive 10 minutes late in the office, and you fear the criticism of others.

- A last minute work request at 4.55pm when you are about to log off and know that you’re either going be late for school pick up or you have to say no to your colleague and feel apologetic about it.

- Rushing to drop the kids off at breakfast club, feeling guilty about the goodbye.

These small doses of stress can set the tone for your day and affect your mood and productivity. The interesting thing is that none of these situations are actually a threat to your life or survival. It’s the thought that you create in your head that causes you to feel stressed.

“I’m going to be late, I’m a failure.”

“I’m late. My colleagues will think I’m unreliable.”

“I have to say no to my colleague. She/he will think I don’t care.”

“My kids have to start their day very early. I’m not a good mother.”

It’s how we choose to respond to these situations that shapes our experience.

To reduce stress, you need to make a mindset shift.

What are your trigger moments? How do you react to them? 

What’s one mindset shift you can make this week to change how you experience stress? Let me know in the comments!