Two Basic Computer Programs for When Stress Hits

When STRESS hits you, your mind goes through a chain reaction….handled properly it’s a bit like what happens in the following computer program:

1. PRINT “STRESS”
2. PRINT “ACKNOWLEDGE STRESS”
3. END & MOVE ON

If you ran the above BASIC program, the word STRESS would appear on the screen once – and nothing more would happen. 

Frequently, what occurs is more like this next program:

1. PRINT “STRESS”
2. PRINT “Thoughts that confirm why I should be stressed.”
3. GO TO 1
4. END 

In this example, the STRESS is followed by a little story – by thoughts about why your stress is justified.  The story itself, the imagining, then becomes the cause for deeper frustration. The command in line 3 takes you back to line 1.  

If you ran this second program, the screen would fill with the statement, then scroll indefinitely as the statements repeat over and over again. This scrolling continues until you turn the computer off or reset it. The program never reaches line 4.  It’s a continuous loop of never ending frustration. 

The simple answer – “note” the stress – it is what it is – take action if appropriate – let it go if you can’t or shouldn’t do anything about it. 

This post was inspired by a mentor of mine, Copthorne Macdonald, from his book Toward Wisdom. 

Cheers,

Doug