One of the handouts I have used many times in marriage therapy over the years came from the mind of the late, great Dr. Gary Smalley. He calls the handout "The Stress Continuum." Smalley theorized that stress is largely a function of expectation and reality. The closer they are, the less stress you will feel, the further apart the more stress you will feel.
Let's suppose you had no idea that your grandchild has a morbid dislike for restaurants until you took him to one and he had a melt down. The stress could be overwhelming. Now, suppose you take him to a restaurant and you expect him to have a melt down and he does. In which situation will you feel more stressed out?
The moral of the story is you can better manage your stress if you align your expectation to reality.
Let's suppose you had no idea that your grandchild has a morbid dislike for restaurants until you took him to one and he had a melt down. The stress could be overwhelming. Now, suppose you take him to a restaurant and you expect him to have a melt down and he does. In which situation will you feel more stressed out?
The moral of the story is you can better manage your stress if you align your expectation to reality.
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