Talk Therapy:
An Effective Stress Management Tool
Talk therapy is an effective way you can manage stress and
anxiety.
It's inevitable, stress is part of life and living. So often,
we don't talk about the things that are bothering us. Not
everyone finds talk therapy easy. In fact, some of us have a
tendency to hold things inside until stress and anxiety build to
unhealthy levels.
For many, talking about things, doesn't come natural. Therefore, it must
become a learned skill through practice.
There are two common terms I use to describe people who handle things
negatively when they are overburdened and overwhelmed.
The Internal Packer - Now this is a person who packs and holds everything
inside. They rarely ever share what's bothering them. They hold their feelings
inside until they build up so much that they usually end up getting physically
sick as a result.
The External Exploder - This person is the one that holds everything
in until they can't take anymore and then explodes in some form of emotional
outburst. It usually comes in the form of anger towards other people.
Talk therapy is effective at helping to diminish stress to more realistic
levels. Stress is very much like a pressure cooker. Now if you know what a
pressure cooker is, it cooks using steam and pressure. There is a small valve on
the lid, that allows you to release pressure. Talk therapy works a lot like the
valve on the lid of the cooker. It keeps things balanced.
So who do you talk to?
You can talk to anyone that you trust and makes you feel comfortable.
Talk therapists are good at what they do. They listen and they
evaluate and they are able to ask you questions that would provoke you to look
deeper into how you are feeling.. So if you have a complex problem and have a
hard time working it out, you might find that a talk therapist is better for
you.
Good friends who are good listeners are also good candidates. Good
friends are usually more able to offer their constructive advice and it is
usually more accepted by a friend than someone you don't know very well. Even if
your friend doesn't offer you much helpful advice, just talking about your
issues and getting them out of your head is enough. Besides, most often than
not, when you are with a good friend, you end up talking about all kinds of
things and many times those things provoke laughter and joy.
What if no one is available to talk when you need to talk?
You must also know that journaling is also just as effective as talk
therapy. So if you are alone and need to get things out of your mind,
journal on paper. Journaling is an act that helps you sort your thoughts. Almost
like talk therapy but only to yourself in your journal. The good thing about
journaling is that you can always reread what you wrote when you are in a
different frame of mind and find a different perspective on those thoughts.
You might find it interesting to know that even people who have admitted
themselves to mental hospitals, one of the first things they are given is a
blank notebook and they are encouraged to write. They are told that it doesn't
matter what they write about, just to write about whatever comes to mind.
For those who find talking difficult, journaling might be the best remedy for
you.
Only you know what kind of talk therapy is best for you. No matter how you
choose to do it, talking is good and even better when you have a good listener
and encourager by your side.
Return from Talk Therapy to Stress Management
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