Stress and the 3Rs

The fight-or-flight reaction is one way the body physically reacts to emotional stimuli. It's an entirely natural reaction that, in the wild, can literally mean the difference between surviving or falling victim to any number of threats. When your body reacts with fight-or-flight too often, though, the response can lead to tension and the damaging effects of stress.

The 3Rs technique is a great solution to this type of stress. These steps can work right alongside therapies such as NET to help you maintain your gain control of an overactive fight-or-flight response:

1. RECOGNIZE what events trigger your own fight-or-flight response. Remember, in a dangerous situation, the fight-or-flight chemicals can give you strength and speed your reactions. But not every circumstance is truly threatening. Now, while you're in a safe physical and emotional place, jot a list of things that cause your stress level to rise. Now go through that list rationally: which ones were real threats to your safety or well-being? The ones that are NOT are the ones to work on when you...

2. REFRAME your thoughts. Arm yourself with calming thoughts to remember when events that are not true threats happen. Here are some simple statements you can use to counter stressful situations:

I am safe.
I am alive.I am OK having options.
I am OK being truthful.

How do these statements work? If your morning commute to work, for example, raises your stress level, you can counter the effect by focusing on an affirmation such as "I am grateful for opportunity." Or if meeting new people triggers your anxiety, try calming yourself on the day of your interview with the simple thought "I can trust myself." With repetition, these calming thoughts can become your new automatic reaction to normally stressful events.

3. RECLAIM your sense of control. Behaviorist and author David J. Lieberman, Ph.D., wrote that "At the heart of persistent anxiety is the fear of being out of control." Taking back control by learning to alter your body's responses is a healthy step toward reversing the damaging effects of stress on your body.

Enough talking. Let's take action.

Try it now: stop for a moment and recall the last time you felt the tension and anxiety that signal a fight-or-flight response. Was it over your last business meeting? a social event? financial concerns or family issues? By identifying the cause of the response, you actually are tackling the first R, recognize. Follow through with the other steps, and you'll begin taking control of your stress level.