Stress Mastery: The Art of Coping Gracefully

Ten Faulty Assumptions and Effective Antidotes

1. Expecting Someone Else to Lower Your Stress Level

It is tempting to blame others for your stress—your boss or your supervisor, perhaps—and if they are to blame, then you might expect them to change or rescue you from your predicament. Keep in mind that changes or decisions created by top management are typically reactions to external events. It is likely that managers are trying to respond effectively to outside forces such as economic downturns, stiffer competition, marketplace shifts, or new technological advances. The changes they have wrought make sense from their point of view, and it is unlikely that they will backpedal just to make life easier for you. If they stagnate, it may ultimately ...