Brought To Light

Episode 1 | Two Nightmares

We all get stressed. It’s part of life. But that doesn’t mean we have to like it. In fact, stress can be really debilitating, preventing us from functioning at our best. That’s why it’s important to find ways to reduce stress whenever possible.
One of my favorite ways to reduce stress is by reading Zen Buddhist philosophy. I find that the concepts help me to put my stressful thoughts into perspective and appreciate the present moment. Philosopher Alan Watts was a big proponent of Zen Buddhism, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about stress reduction. Here are three of my favorite tips from Alan Watts that you can use the next time you’re feeling stressed out:
See Stress as a Challenge Rather Than a Problem
The first step to reducing stress is to change your perspective on what stress actually is. According to Alan Watts, we should see stress not as a problem but as a challenge. This simple shift in thinking can make a world of difference.
When you see stress as a problem, it seems insurmountable. Your mind immediately goes into panic mode and it feels like there’s nothing you can do about it. But when you see stress as a challenge, it becomes something that you’re excited to tackle. You become more resourceful and creative in finding solutions because you know that overcoming the challenge will make you stronger and wiser in the end.
2. Don’t Take Things Personally
Another way to reduce stress is to stop taking things personally. This is easier said than done, but it’s important if you want to reduce the amount of unnecessary drama in your life. As Alan Watts says, “You don’t have to take everything so personally.”
What he means by this is that not everything that happens in life is about you. If someone cuts you off in traffic or treats you rudely, it’s not because they hate you or are trying to intentionally make your life difficult — it could be because they’re having a bad day or they’re preoccupied with their own problems. If you can learn not take things personally, you’ll reduce your levels of stress significantly.
3. Don’t Resist Change
Finally, one of the best ways to reduce stress is to stop resisting change — because change is inevitable, no matter how much we try to fight it. Alan Watts says, “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
When we resist change, we create friction and resistance in our lives — and that just leads to more stress! Instead, we should flow with change and go with the flow. When we do this, we open ourselves up to new possibilities and experiences that we may never have had otherwise. And isn’t that what life is all about?
Reducing stress doesn’t have to be complicated — sometimes, something as simple as reading philosophy can help! The next time you’re feeling stressed out, try using these three tips from Alan Watts: seeing stress as a challenge rather than a problem, not taking things personally, and not resisting change . I guarantee they’ll help!

Reduce stress with these 3 tips from Zen Buddhist philosopher Alan Watts

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Lee Stranahan is an investigative journalist and teacher who's the cofounder of Populist.TV and Citizen Journalism School.

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