Commentary: Commander’s Corner -- Life versus work equals stress

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Nikolas Chapapas
  • 377th Security Forces Squadron commander
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico --  The Air Force has changed dramatically over the last few years, most especially demanding more and more of our Airmen. Our enemy is crafty, our workload is incredible and our resources are thinning. 

Despite those monumental challenges, we still remain the most influential military on the planet. But to remain the most influential, we need to have tools that allow us to overcome these challenges and achieve success no matter what. 

The most effective tool I have ever encountered is a positive attitude. I read recently there is no such thing as stress, only stressful thinking. That statement hit me like a hammer in the head. 

When we shift our perspective, we can always find how whatever seemingly bad situation we're going through could be a lot worse. Likewise, focusing on the positive aspects of life often help to diffuse the negative aspects. The negative often seems bigger than it really is because we dwell on it. 

Going back to stressful thinking, I've really gained in confidence by understanding this. It's hard to be angry without thinking an angry thought. I've tried, and for the life of me I can't make myself angry if I have nothing to be angry about, or, to put it differently, nothing to think about being angry about. 

The same things goes for stress. Most of my stress comes from beating myself up over something that I didn't do well in the past or being fearful of a consequence I don't want to encounter in the future. The stress that comes from thinking about those things actually retards my work performance in the present. If I can stop thinking about the past and the future, I typically perform much better in the present. 

Now, if something is really bugging me, it's pretty hard for me to stop thinking about it. However, it isn't as hard for me to focus on a single thought (something else), which pushes all other thoughts aside, including the issue that is bugging me. I do this by trying to completely focus on the present task at hand. 

Sometimes that present focus has to be on nothing but breathing, but it gets me there. When I can get immersed in what I'm doing at the present moment, the past and future fall away, and so does that issue that's bugging me. Stress is reduced, I'm more effective, and I'm moving on. 

Finally, it's not the world that's causing our stress, it's only our thinking, and by teaching ourselves how to think, we become that much more effective and can enjoy our days much more. We can always think of how things aren't going well, but in those cases, is it the situation that is bad and causing us harm? The situation not an entity or being, it is just what it is. The only harm that we encounter is that which we create for ourselves by how we think about that situation. 

Nobody's going to enjoy this life for you. You have to focus on having fun, living a good life and keeping a positive attitude, no matter what.