"You sit up at midnight, staring at your bank account. It doesn't look good. You're worried about car repairs, paying rent, and keeping food on the table. Earlier today, you heard talk of layoffs at work. The pressure is building. What will you do next? Stress is real. It's not just that we're focused on negativity; challenges are simply everywhere. If you examine the main areas of your life-finances, work, relationships, possessions that break down, health, injustice, and time-you're likely to find dissatisfaction and stress in some. Money can be replenished, but time cannot. Time is limited, and we only have less of it."
"Our minds excel at asking, "What if...", which puts the spotlight on an uncontrollable future and draws imagined stress into the present, sometimes years before it might occur. On the other hand, we are not so good at focusing on "what is." Focusing on what is happening now, especially the good we find in this moment, can not only refresh our depleted emotional reserves but also change our outlook on the future."
"Practicing gratitude, celebrating the gratitude and joy of others, and expressing thanks to those who help us lead to positive changes in the brain. Gratitude increases serotonin and dopamine, reduces negativity bias in the prefrontal lobe, and calms the amygdala, slowing our fight-or-flight response. Gratitude also helps manage anxiety and depression."
Daily pressures across finances, work, relationships, possessions, health, injustice, and time produce real emotional and physical strain. Time is uniquely limited and cannot be replenished, intensifying stress when reserves are low. The mind's tendency to ask "what if" projects uncontrollable future worries into the present and depletes emotional resources. Direct attention to present realities and the good in the moment refreshes depleted reserves and alters future outlooks. Regular gratitude practices and expressing thanks increase serotonin and dopamine, reduce negativity bias in the prefrontal lobe, calm the amygdala, and assist in managing anxiety and depression. Living intentionally builds stronger resilience under pressure.
Read at Psychology Today
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