Stress can be a choice. What? Hang on, don’t kill the messenger. I know it doesn’t seem like it. And it isn’t in some cases. But, other times? It is. If you are willing to consider that, then you also can get curious and step away from a lot of things that stress you out. With that, you just moved yourself farther along the path to wellness.

Stress kills. It’s interesting that we don’t see it that way. A stressed out human is way more likely to feel ill, be ill, have a heart attack, etc. We notice all the other diseases that might harm us. But stress gets a pass. No more. Handle it better; be well.

Okay, back to the choice part. Notice when you’re getting stressed out. Then question yourself: Can you let this go? Can you do something different in place of being stressed out? Can you ignore, distract, walk away, focus on something else?

Typical example: Another driver on the road is being a pain in the butt. You get angry, pound your steering wheel, yell, exercise a certain finger, maybe even engage in a bit of road aggression. (Which also is dangerous to your health.) Now, to be real with you: You don’t HAVE to do any of that. Really. You don’t. What good does it do? No, it doesn’t make you feel better. It makes you feel stressed out and pissed off. Instead, you could choose to let it go. Turn on some good music and ignore. Think about something great you have to look forward to, and let that put a smile on your face. Slow down, and let bad driver be on his way and out of your space. (Yes, it’s a he. We women drivers are AMAZING. 😉 )

When you don’t make this choice, you are allowing stress to deteriorate your well being. Why do that? I get this isn’t always as much of choice some times as other times. But, it’s a choice more often than you are realizing right now. Find the times when it is a choice. A choice you make to vote for your well being over drama, getting even, yelling, letting it get to you.

Watch where your focus is, too, with this. Do you have a lens scanning for what sucks? Or are you keeping an eye out for what’s still right? Again, not always possible. Some times and some things truly are awful. Many are not, and don’t need you finding them and enhancing them.

Ask yourself each time you find yourself feeling stressed out: Can I make a different choice here? (And, if so, what is it?) Can I have a different focus? (Find it; focus on it.) Can I distract? (Distract away — anything works.) Can I simply let it go? (Peace, sister, peace.)

Remember, too, why you’re doing this. Because that stress, that getting even, that drama is so not worth you feeling ill down the road. Preserve your right to be well.