OVERCOME STRESS AND NEGATIVITY

Move from Paralysis to Activation

Before a person can take positive action and move forward, he or she must first understand the facts. Positive broadcasters try to realistically assess situations, while actively looking for fueling facts, or real conditions that give a person hope and a sense of empowerment in a stressful or seemingly hopeless situation. Those who want to fact-check a story or situation should follow three steps:

1. Isolate the stressful thoughts. By understanding what the real worries are, a person can avoid making the worries bigger.

2. List the facts. Listing the supporting evidence for the worries helps a person understand the situation better and feel as though he or she has the chance to vent.

3. List fueling facts that illuminate a new story. By searching for facts that are equally true, but tell a different story, a person can see the situation in a different way.

Positive broadcasters can identify fueling facts by focusing on GPS areas:

1. Get an accurate time frame. The challenge may be temporary, or it may be broken up into phases.

2. Pinpoint the smallest domain. Focus on the area of the stress, and do not let it creep into other areas of life.

3. Scan for resources and past achievements. People are better at tackling challenges when they can pinpoint and utilize resources. It also helps to make a list of past wins and achievements.

Another way to discover fueling facts is by making one of three changes:

1. Add a fact. Sometimes one fact can change the story. For example, an employee who believes his or her manager has been distant lately might change his or her mind if it is revealed that the manager’s spouse has been sick.

2. Subtract a fact. Removing a fact can help reveal new possibilities. If a person is worried about having enough money for retirement, he or she should consider that some part of the current situation could change. For example, he or she could move to a different location that is less expensive.

3. Reverse a fact. Focusing on an equally true but opposite fact can change one’s perspective. For example, when a sales team falls just short of a goal, a leader should reward them for their progress, rather than call it a failure.

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