THE STEPS TO STRESS REDUCTION
Through Honesty in Communication

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I. Steps to Stress Reduction: Graphic

II. Steps to Stress Reduction: Text

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III. Definition of Terms

IV. Exercises to Increase Awareness

 

Chapter 53. Questions to Increase Awareness: Recognition of Feelings

 

To help in the recognition of your feelings, ask yourself questions like these:

What are the four possible feeling states? (Mad, Glad, Sad, Afraid)

What does "anger" mean (If you're unsure of the meaning of any term used in these questions, see "Definition of Terms Used In This Book".)

Am I aware of what or who I feel angry toward?

What does "happy" mean?

Am I aware of what or who I feel happy toward?

What does "sad" mean?

Am I aware of what I am sad about?

Am I aware that any sadness over the loss or separation of a love object or person will generate anger toward that object or person?

What does "fear" mean?

Am I aware of who or what I am afraid of?

Am I aware that any fear of an object or person will generate anger toward that object or person?

Who or What is the Stress Object in my life? The Stress Object will either be a situation or a person or both).

If the Stress Object is a situation, ask yourself:

What do I think about my life situation? (Limit your answer to thoughts please).

 

How do I feel about my life situation? (Answer this question with one or more feelings please).

 

What are my feelings toward the people involved? (Limit your choice of feelings toward to "happy" or "angry" please!)

If the Stress Object is a person, ask yourself:

What feeling(s) do I have about what this person is saying or not saying, doing or not doing?

Is this person a Primary or Secondary?

If person is a Primary, how have I always responded when Primary behaves this way?

 

What do I think about my responses? (Thoughts please!)

 

How do I feel about my responses? (Feelings please!)

 

Is there anything I would like to do instead?

 

What are my feelings toward Primary right now? (Again, limit your choice of feelings toward to "happy" or "angry" please!)

If person is a Secondary, which Primary do they emotionally remind you of? (Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, etc.)

Are you aware that the reason you have strong feelings toward Secondary is because of unresolved strong feelings toward Primary?

Are you aware that the Secondary you're angry with is a scapegoat for your anger toward your Primary?

What are my reactions? (Sometimes it's easier to recognize feelings buy looking at our reactions).

What am I experiencing physically? (tension, pain, anxiety, lack of energy, catching a cold, etc.

 

Since body language is always trying to tell the truth, what do you think your physical reaction is telling you? Here are some possibilities:

Tension or tightness in chest or stomach is often a sign of feelings of rejection and thus anger toward person perceived as rejecting. Who do I perceive as rejecting me?

Pain, like a headache, neck ache, shoulder ache, or backache, often is a sign of difficulty in accepting one's own anger. Am I thinking perhaps my anger is wrong, sinful, evil, unjustified or irrational? Which one(s)?

Lower backache is often a sign of sexual tension. Am I accepting my sexual feelings and my need to express them the right way?

Generalized anxiety often is a sign of fearfulness and being hung up on fear rather than coming to grips with anger. Who or what am I afraid of and am I aware of my anger toward that object or person?

 

Lack of energy often is a sign of denial of anger and the energy used to stuff the anger saps the strength. Who or what am I angry toward?

 

Lowered resistance and depressed immune system functioning is one of the first signs of stress and what could be more stressful than unresolved feelings. What's bugging me?

 

What am I thinking? Are my thoughts positive or negative?

(If positive, the demands placed on your body by stress will be lessened).

(If negative, the anger you feel toward someone or something is not being expressed the right way an is turning inward and affecting the way you think about yourself).

How's my appearance? Look in the mirror. Am I frowning, is my mouth tense or corners down, or my complexion pale, or circles under my eyes? These are common signs of stress. What's bugging me?

 

What am I doing? Reaching for a cigarette, or a stimulant like strong coffee, alcohol or drugs, or a tranquilizer or escaping into TV or a book? these are common signs of stress. What feelings am I stuffing and bottling up?

 

What am I saying? do I find myself being critical, sarcastic, negative, insulting, or inappropriately witty? Again, these are common signs of the stress of unresolved feelings. Who am I upset with but not being reconciled with?

 

By answering questions like these just as honestly as you can, it should be easier to recognize your feelings that you may have been unaware of before. Sometimes though, our inability to accept our own feelings makes it impossible to recognize them at all.

 

Next: Questions to Increase Awareness: Acceptance of Feelings

 

Stress Reduction Through Honesty in Communication by John Twelker Copyright 1986, John Twelker Enterprises, Inc.