Since not everyone who encounters the boss is stressed-out, it cannot be he who is causing the stress.
So what is it that causes your stress when you encounter him? It has to be something else—and it is. The way you think about him makes you stressed-out and nothing else. Notice your thoughts and see if you can change the way you are thinking about whatever it is that seems to be stressing you out. This might not be easy at first and changing the way you think about some situations will be easier than others.
As an example, you may be stressing over getting to work on time so you might change your thinking to “Relax. It is what it is. Everything is going to be okay. Being stressed won’t get me there any sooner.” This is not to make you believe that it is okay to be late, but to realize that being stressed will not change the outcome. When you succeed at changing your thoughts, the feeling of stress will begin to disappear.
For many, being stressed-out is a perfect way to look good to others in order to get approval from them. When their stress is worse than everyone else’s stress, it provides a way for them to out-do their friends or coworkers. They can one-up everyone else with their stressful life and perhaps even gain a little extra respect once they convince others that their stress is worse than everyone else’s. Furthermore, having so much stress to deal with can be a great way to fit in and belong with other stressed-out friends or coworkers.
Why do you stress? Is it a way to get approval or to fit in and belong? How often do you one-up your friends or coworkers with your stress?
