We need stress. Stress is normal. Too much stress, however, will turn into distress. Stress is important because it fosters the challenges that are needed to stimulate growth. When a sprout is pushing through the soil, reaching for the sun, it experiences the stress produced by the earth and gravity moving in the opposite direction. Along with the wind, these forces help the sprout create the strength and flexibility to grow. Stress builds the integrity that holds us together.
When stress is out of control it becomes distress. A body that is in distress will produce neuro-chemicals that simulate a state of fright. Fear is a sign that we are fighting with ourselves. This internal battle fills us with the tension or knots that are associated with a stressful life. Stress is a self-perpetuating process. As the tension mounts even positive things can become stressful. Happy and tragic occasions can both cause stress. Weddings rate as the second most stressful event, after the death of a loved one.
As we get all wound up blood flow to the major organs decreases and the body becomes sedentary. Stress initially speeds up the metabolic rate, but then a hormonal rebound forces it to stop to an all time low. This feedback effect is a natural protective mechanism that the body uses to store energy in preparation for the long bouts of depression that usually follows a traumatic stressful event. As a result, stress will lead to and increases in weight.
The good news is that stress can work for us. Stress is a unique personal experience that depends solely on the way we chose to react to the events that make up our lives. We actually set ourselves up for the stress in our lives in order to be forced into seeing the world differently. To reduce stress we must learn new ways to deal with our environment. We can dramatically reduce stress by making some small adjustments in behavior:
Get up 15 minutes early to reduce the rush.
Relax your standards: nothing is perfect.
UN-plug your life. Turn off the TV, radio, computer and telephone for at least one hour everyday.
Realize that everything, including clean food, air and water are privileges.
Watch your body for tension and take a deep breath.
Do a favor for a stranger once a day.
Talk positively about yourself.
Delegate responsibilities. Work at your own pace.
Be your own best friend.
Cast out stress with exercise as an exorcism.
Share your stress with a close friend.
Do not push past your limits.
Take care of yourself, then tend to others.
Have more fun.
Cooperate with others.
Cry out loud. Laugh out loud.
Create an quiet environment.
Take a hot bath before bed.
Stay away from people and situations that cause you stress.
It isn’t necessary to go into long dissertations on the origins of stress. Stress is another part of living. If we can build an alliance with stress and view it as a motivating factor, we score big. Not reacting to stress may be easier said than done. The nature of stress is to surprise us when we least expect it. There is an ancient stress exercise that is proven to reduce reactive behavior patterns.
Meditation relaxes the mind. Meditation is a mind message. It loosens up the mental knots; purges habitual thought patterns and offers a way out of the stress cycle. A meditation program can range form relaxing with the eyes closed for a period of time to gardening. Anything that focuses the mind in the moment to the exclusion of time is a good meditation. The intent of meditation is to teach us that nothing is perfect and everything will change. A regular meditation practice will relieve stress.
You must log in to post a comment.