One of the concepts that I found interesting was in Chapter
7. The book talks about developing a Playful
Spirit. A Playful Spirit is something that you create in your mind, to change
your attitude towards life in a way that enables you to lighten up. It’s a way
to help manage distress. The book gives some examples of techniques that could
help you. A few that I found that I actually do were in the list. I never knew
that what I was doing to help become less stressed was actually playful
spirits, and I would have to agree that they really do work. A few that were
listed are: (pg 128)
-Don’t blame yourself for everything that goes wrong or doesn’t
pan out.
-Look for situational factors that you may learn to accept rather
than fight against.
-Ask youself: Am I happy right now? What can I do now to be
happier?
-Learn to say “No”, without feeling guilty.
-Take on a new role, which is more enjoyable than the
present one.
-Do something you can succeed at, especially after failing
something else.
These are just some of the ones listed, there are a few more
as well. I have found the first technique
to be extremely helpful to myself. I
have learned to not blame myself for things when they go wrong, and it has
helped me distress.
Roro,
ReplyDeleteI too really liked the idea of developing a playful spirit. It is a great way to change your attitude towards stressful or negative thoughts. When you are stressed out, it is helpful to remember why you are doing whatever is causing you stress. A lot of the time if it is not for a good reason, then you should just say no to doing it! But if it is something that will benefit you or help you in life, that should remind you that good things are to come! I would definitely agree with a lot of the techniques on the list, especially asking yourself if you are happy, and if not, then what can you do to be happier?