3 simple ways to banish stressful thinking and beat diabetes

One technique proven helpful for people with diabetes who find themselves in stressful situations or are thinking stressful thoughts is a simple method known as thought stopping.

1. Close your eyes and imagine a situation in which the stressful thought might spring into your head. Set a timer for three minutes and continue contemplating the stressful thought.
2. When the timer goes off, shout "Stop!" You may want to punctuate your exclamation with a physical sign, such as standing up or clapping your hands. It may seem awkward at first, but the forcefulness of the statement is part of what makes it work. As you become more experienced with the technique, you can say the word more quietly or think it to yourself. Try to keep your mind blank for 30 seconds, and if the thought comes back, shout "Stop" again.
3. Replace the distressing thought with another thought that's more positive and rational. For example, if the stressful thought is "I can't do this; I'm worthless," instead say to yourself, "There are many valuable things I can do."

1. Start by writing down (or thinking clearly about) exactly what happened in an upsetting situation. Take a just-the-facts approach and skip any value judgments or conjectures. Some examples of facts: your boss seemed irritated this morning; your child disobeyed you; your spouse worked late.
2. Note what you're telling yourself about this supposedly terrible event and how it makes you feel. Include all your assumptions, predictions and beliefs. If your boss is irritated, these might include "I must have done something wrong"; "he's always in a bad mood when I'm around, so he must hate me"; or "he acted like this the last time he let someone go, so he's probably going to fire me."
3. Challenge your assumptions. Is your boss's irritation really about you, or could there be another cause? Is he this way all the time? Hasn't he been angry many times without firing anybody?
4. Change what you tell yourself to fit the evidence. For example, "my boss is irritated, but he's always that way. It probably has nothing to do with me" or "I can't be responsible for my boss's mood — only my own."

Stress is about me, not the situation:

• An airplane flight may panic someone who's never flown, but it may seem mind-numbingly dull to a business traveller. The right perspective will enable you to handle any situation.

What's done is done:

• Lots of things happen for reasons that are beyond your control, and thinking "would have," "could have," or "should have" won't help you deal with an existing situation.
• Instead, think in future-oriented terms, such as "I hope" or "next time."

Nobody's perfect — including me:

• Expect a reasonable amount of failure and disappointment from both yourself and others, then adopt an attitude of acceptance and forgiveness.

People who suffer from diabetes are more likely to have some form of anxiety. However, even if you don't have diabetes, these tips are great for controlling the stress and anxiety in your life. Form these habits and watch the anxiety in your life melt away.