Other-dependent individuals stress over just about everything. But remember what we said about how thoughts create our reality. Could it be that stress is just a figment of the imagination?
Stress is highly subjective. We don’t all think the same way about the same thing. What might be terrifying for one person is not scary at all for another and may be just a little bit frightening for someone else. So since everyone experiences stress differently, what is it that makes people experience certain events as stressful?
It all depends on whether we think of an event or an experience as a threat—when our thinking turns it into an “imaginary tiger” in our mind. We experience psychological stress whenever we think about these imaginary tigers.
For example, you may think yourself into being stressed to the max when you believe you don’t look good to others or you aren’t right about something. You may face imaginary tigers every single time you worry about what others think about you or when things don’t go the way you want them to or the way you think they should.
Think once again about the things that cause you stress. For example, responsibilities, paying the bills, the job, the boss, a relationship breakup, physical health, deadlines, or even a fast-paced lifestyle. What are the causes of your stress as you see them now? Write them down.
