Thursday, December 9, 2010

Let Dr. Marty Tashman Help You Get Through The Holiday Season with Three Helpful Stress-Reducing Steps: Step 2


Step 2: Being in the Right Mood

The holiday season can be full of stress and anxiety for many.  In order to combat this impending anxiety, Dr. Marty Tashman of Somerset New Jersey has developed a three-part method in which he calls “FAB” which stands for Feelings-Attitude-Behavior.

Handling difficult issues well involves being in the right mood.

Here is his second step for combating stress in this three part series:

The Second Step – Feelings (your mood)

Dr. Tashman suggests asking yourself if you are: frantic, self-judgmental, angry, upset, or frustrated. 

“The goal here is to get yourself in the right frame of mind, getting yourself to feel good about your efforts, calm yourself down, and to be optimistic about how things are going to work out.” 

“You will enjoy your holiday a lot more if you can get yourself in the right frame of mind.”

He offers the following techniques to help your mood:
1)           Mindfulness:
“Begin by noticing how you are feeling. Ask yourself: “Am I speeding?”; “Am I having negative conversations in my head?” If you are speeding make a deliberate effort to slow yourself down; if you are have a negative conversation work on developing positive self talk or affirmations”

Affirmations:
Dr. Tashman suggests that this strategy isn’t for everyone.

 “If you are a skeptic or want to see proof that something will be successful, you will not be impressed with this approach.  For those of you that will take things on good faith- here it goes.

The people who believe in affirmations say that your brain and attitude is like a computer, if you put positive things in you get positive things out.  You decide if this makes sense to you.

(2)  Take a few minutes out to take some deep breaths and slow your body down.

(3)   Do something just for you.

(4)  Promise yourself a reward if you complete a task.

      (5)  Think about a positive outcome of the task you are doing”

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