What are your Causes of Stress?

Use CO-FRAMES to get to your causes of stress and win back time lost to stress and worry.

causes of stressGet on top of your stress and make more of your day

When you are in a state of stress you don’t get things done, get even more anxious that you are not getting things done and wind up stuck in a no man’s land state where getting on top of things is impossible.

Learn how to get your mojo back by understanding your causes of stress so you can refuel your mental equilibrium and focus and win back your lost time.

CO-FRAMES and Your Causes of Stress

The CO-FRAMES model centers on the psychological needs to keep people in a performance state. When any of the CO-FRAMES are challenged you run the risk of activating the primitive part of your brain designed to keep you alive when threats were a lot more physical. 

Knowing your stress triggers and your responses to challenge can help you to forearm yourself; thus limiting the disruption of blood supply to the part of the brain you need to evaluate, think and talk your way through life’s encounters. It can also help you to diagnose the uncomfortable symptoms of stress you may be feeling and offer insights as to how to reduce the impact of these triggers on your day, your time and your life. 

The CO-FRAMES model

The CO-FRAMES look like this:

C

Certainty and Consistency. This is the confidence you have about what is happening or about to happen. It is the degree of predictability.

O

Optimism. This is about viewing past present and future with hope

F

Fairness. A sense of just, fair or equal treatment transparently delivered. This could be considered a fair go in 'Aussie' vernacular

R

Relatedness. This refers to feeling connected and included with other people.

A

Autonomy. The feeling of having choice and control over our environment.

M

Meaning. The sense of purpose and value we have in our pursuits. 

E

Engagement. This refers to being involved and absorbed in what we are doing so that our skills, intellect, imagination and emotional capabilities are switched on.

S

Status. The esteem in which we are held by others and ourselves – our sense of worthiness and status.

When any of these are impacted your psychological center can be rocked.

It’s good to identify which of these are high sensitivity for you – you might feel the need for some of these more acutely – knowing your potential Achilles Heel in advance can help protect you from being triggered so painfully in the future!

Think about the times when you feel anxious and unable to get on task. Consider which of your CO-FRAMES are under challenge. Reflect on a response that will help you get back to balance.  

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