Structured Exercises in Stress Management, Volume 2<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cBeware,\u201d the soothsayer says to Caesar through Shakespeare\u2019s pen, \u201cBeware of the Ides of March!\u201d<\/p>\n
Thunder and flashing lightening\u2026everyone lookout, beware, danger! When Shakespeare penned the phrase it was only foreboding because the actor made it so. Now-a-days, just those words can strike dread in the hearts of some folks. Recited in tones of doom, and thanks to a few hundred years of history, it can plunge listeners into a dismal mood. In Shakespeare\u2019s version the worst happens. Caesar is murdered by two of his friends on that day. \u201cEt tu, Brute.\u201d We fear the worst might happen to us, too.<\/p>\n
Looking at it on one hand it is a dark and dismal threat. On the other hand, it is simply an indication of a date in the middle of March. Why does the same phrase strike people so differently? Because our perception is different. It isn\u2019t the words themselves that engender fear, but the emotions that we ascribe to those words. \u00a0Some folks feel a sense of dread. For others, the Ides of March is simply March 15th<\/sup> and it doesn\u2019t disturb them at all. April 15th<\/sup>, maybe, but not March 15th<\/sup>.<\/p>\nHow we see and feel things, or our perception of them, greatly affects our stress level. Perception can be defined as \u201ca way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attitude Adjustment Hour<\/h2>\n
Try this exercise that demonstrates the role of perception in the management of stress and helps us practice making conscious shifts in perceptual patterns. You can use it by yourself, or gather a group of your friends or family.<\/p>\n
Discuss or journal about the following:<\/p>\n
\n- Any life event, major or minor, can become a cause of stress if we view it as a threat. Stress is our reaction to whatever dangers we see around us. Perception is the key to stress management. Our stress level is determined by the way we label events (perception). If we see safety we remain relaxed. If we see danger we fight back with stress.<\/li>\n
- Incredible as it sounds, most of our stress comes from between our ears. If we don\u2019t like it, we can get rid of it, by changing our mind.<\/li>\n
- It\u2019s no phonier to be \u201cPollyanna-ish\u201d (seeing the rosy side of very tough problems) than it is to be cynical (seeing the negative side of positive opportunities)<\/li>\n
- At any given moment, we always have numerous perceptual options available to us \u2013 many ways to view our situations. Our choice of viewpoints, to a large extent, color the quality and feeling tone of our daily experiences.<\/li>\n
- In our society, attitude adjustment hour is synonymous with drinking alcohol. Yes, alcohol does alter people\u2019s mood. But true attitude adjustment comes only from making the choice to change our perception. This exercise offers an opportunity for you to practice the skill of seeing your life from many different possible viewpoints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you are able, find a friend or family member to join you in the exercise describe his or her day to his or her partner. If you are doing this early in the day, describe yesterday. If you are doing this alone, journal about the questions and answers.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now you will be challenged to \u201cadjust your attitudes\u201d by re-describing your day using one of the viewpoints listed below. Take turns using one of the eight possible attitudes listed below. If you are doing this alone, write it down.<\/p>\n
\n- A situation comedy \u2013 a big joke and the joke is on you.<\/li>\n
- A Greek tragedy \u2013 as if you were meant to suffer and you surely did.<\/li>\n
- A soap opera \u2013 of heroic proportions, with all the subtlety, intrigue, and drama of daytime TV.<\/li>\n
- A fairytale \u2013 perfectly positive and enjoyable, everything is rosy.<\/li>\n
- A bore \u2013 no expressions, dull, ho-hum, nothing much interesting<\/li>\n
- An athletic contest \u2013 using sports metaphors as you \u201cdrive for the goal,\u201d \u201ctake a time out,\u201d \u201cstrike out,\u201d \u201chit an ace,\u201d and so on.<\/li>\n
- A pitiful mess \u2013 you\u2019re lousy and you mess everything up, and your life stinks.<\/li>\n
- A trap \u2013 everyone\u2019s out to get you and you have a lot to complain about.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
3. \u00a0 Repeat step 2, two or three times, allowing the opportunity to review your day from several perspectives.<\/p>\n
4.\u00a0\u00a0 Consider the following:<\/p>\n
\n- How did the changed viewpoint alter your feelings?<\/li>\n
- How do you normally choose to tell your day\u2019s story?<\/li>\n
- What difference would it make in your life if you regularly sat down at the end of the day for an \u201cattitude adjustment hour\u201d in which you told and retold your day\u2019s story from different perspectives?<\/li>\n
- How can you incorporate the principles of perception into your day right while it is happening?<\/li>\n
- How can you incorporate the same principles after the fact?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Perception Adapted from an exercise by Donald A. Tubesing, PhD, MDiv, and Nancy Loving Tubesing, EdD., Structured Exercises in Stress Management, Volume 2. \u201cBeware,\u201d the soothsayer says to Caesar through Shakespeare\u2019s pen, \u201cBeware of the Ides of March!\u201d Thunder and flashing lightening\u2026everyone lookout, beware, danger! When Shakespeare penned the phrase it was only foreboding because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,348],"tags":[71],"class_list":["post-2653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-exercises","tag-perception"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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