The Only Stress Response Tool You Will Ever Need

Something is going to frustrate you today. A driver. An email. A person. A situation you did not see coming.

You cannot prevent the trigger. But you can completely redesign your response.

What first comes to mind is this skit by Bob Newheart from way back, but it held a strong truth that may be worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAhA7KfbJgg

The tool, or my version of Bob Newheart’s advice, is called SASA: Stop. Assess. Select. Act.

When something triggers you, the very first step is to stop. Not to react. Not to respond. To stop. This sounds simple and is deceptively difficult, because the brain is designed to react. Reaction bypasses higher cognitive function entirely. It is fast, automatic, and almost always disproportionate to the actual threat.

So, you stop. You interrupt the reflex.

Then you assess. Not what you feel about the situation: that is still reaction. You assess what is actually happening. Who is involved. What the facts are. What is within your control. This takes ten seconds.

Then you select. What is the most appropriate response to move toward the outcome you desire? Not the response that feels satisfying. The response that serves the result for all.

Then you act. Deliberately. Proportionately. With intention.

The more you use SASA, the faster it becomes. What begins as a deliberate four-step process compresses over time into a new reflex, one that serves you rather than others. Intention plus attention equals manifestation. The I Think Therefore I Feel webinar shows you how to make SASA automatic. Book your seat: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/JrGeqCkjQlKF-8xYd41zmw