Stress is a part of life. No matter how much we may try to run from it, we will experience stress at one point or another. When stress is experienced in a family setting, it affects more than just one individual. This week in class we discussed how to deal with stress as a family - not as separate individuals - but how to really communicate and work together as a family to overcome the trial.
Reuben Hill came up with a model for coping with stress. This model is referred to as the 'ABCX' Model.
A = Actual Events that occurred to cause stress
B = Both resources available to deal with stress
C = Cognition, or perspective
All of these add up to X, the total eXperience of dealing with stress.
The part of this model I want to focus on is the 'C', the perspective on the situation. We cannot always control what happens to us, but we can control our attitude and how we respond to situations.
In Chinese calligraphy, crisis is spelled by combining the words 'danger' and 'opportunity'. A crisis may appear as a danger to family relationships, but we can really view it as an opportunity for growth.
Think of going to the gym and lifting weights. How do we get our muscles stronger? By first breaking them down.
I believe it is the same in our families. Although experiences may seem like they are tearing relationships apart, we can use them as an opportunity to grow back together stronger than before.
There is always something to be grateful for, and I believe in looking for the positive in everything.
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