Dealing with Stress

Stress is common in our lives today. Sometimes we get so busy with our lives, we lose touch with just how stressed we are. Loretta Sparks in her article Stress and Me and EFT, shares the Stress Level Rating Scale. The scale can be useful to identify and to be able to rate yourself before you get totally stressed out. By becoming aware that you are actually stressed, then you can used EFT to reduce your stress level. I am including the SLRS to show you how stress may be a part of your life and you may not know it.

In the second part of her article, she shows how you can use EFT when you become aware that you are stressed. So, one key is awareness, and another key is to use EFT to tap away away the stress.

STRESS LEVEL RATING SCALE

10 OUT OF CONTROL
Engaging in excessive or addictive behaviors such as alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, spending, obsessive relationship or work; violence (verbal or physical).

9 OVER REACTIVE
Jumping to conclusion, not willing to listen, frequently disagreeing, threatening, sarcastic, glaring; feeling overwhelming loneliness, frustration, rage, resentment, and self-pity; saying always and never when hurt or angry.

8 DEFENSIVE
Notice others not “taking care of business.” Heavy use of denial, anger, bargaining, silence, withdrawal, blame, criticism, excuses, intellectualizing, rationalizing, evading, minimizing, moralizing, pleading or apologizing.

7 SPACED OUT
Not being present to situation at hand; can’t hear what is being said to you because of your own “self-talk”’ zoning out, getting lost in daydreams, etc.; do not notice stress is building in you.

6 BARELY MANAGING OKAY
Barely getting everything done, need help, but don't ask for it, tell yourself to “try harder, plan your time better”; start to let go of self-care activities; having a hard time saying “no”; do not notice stress building.

5 MANAGING OKAY
Life’s demands and your energy (physically, mentally and spiritually) are mostly in sync.

4 MANAGING OKAY PLUS
Your physical, mental, and spiritual energy nicely in sync with life's demands.


3 MANAGING EASILY
Your physical, mental and spiritual energy exceeds life's demands.


2 MANAGING EASILY PLUS
Abundant physical, mental, and spiritual energy.


1 VACATIONING
Total and complete sense of relaxation.