What is stress and how to relieve stress:
"People carry massive responsibilities and are blown about in so many
directions as they follow an endless to-do list. Are they happier? Satisfied?
When tasks don't get crossed off the to-do list, people experience stress,
resulting in sleepless nights and days filled with feelings of negativity and
inadequacy. Since these people can accomplish on so many levels, they tend to
believe that if they don't do it all, then they simply don't measure up. Then
chronic stress sets in, unleashing damaging stress hormones, which trigger
inflammatory responses responsible for diseases affecting the cardiovascular
and digestive systems as well as causing fatigue and depression. People do
things with a "loose mind" and feel guilty about relaxing and having
fun. In fact, people who find free time, usually don't know what to do with
it."
How does someone become addicted to stress?
"Stress
is everywhere and we tend to get accustomed to living on a high - that surge of adrenaline. The problem is that with every high, we crash both body and mind, and then need a bigger fix. Mostly this stress is internally driven - we need
to prove to everyone how important and indispensable we are. We have lost our
identity, what makes a person unique. Basically, this incredible busyness helps
us to run away from the self - the deficits in personality and our fundamental
unhappiness."
Are there certain types of people that are most
vulnerable to stress?
"A
little stress (acute stress) can be good because it jump-starts people to
perform better and keep the immune system vigilant. For example, some people do
well on deadline. However, when stress becomes chronic, it becomes unhealthy
and saps our vitality. The people who are most vulnerable to stress addiction
are victims of 'identity theft;' they have lost their personal power along the
way to becoming a colleague, spouse, parent, etc.
Another
predisposing factor is emotional programming by parents, teachers and religious
leaders to be good, self-sacrificing and giving - people pleasers. People
pleasers have plenty of parasites lined up for them. Suppressed and silenced,
these people wonder why everyone is happy, except for them."
The Impact of Stress
How does stress affect relationships and other
areas of a person's life?
"Stress
robs people of joy and natural self-expression. People become irritable, abrupt
and inattentive listeners - many unnecessary conflicts follow. Everyone is
affected by this negativity. It's like people have a big chip on the shoulder.
Quite often people will keep giving and doing for others, then feel resentful.
This is a recipe for road rage in the living room because if you live with
someone, that person becomes a mirror in which unhappiness projects on. This
causes the person to tiptoe around you."
Steps for Lifestyle Modification for Stress Relief. What are some lifestyle changes someone can make to combat stress?
Time
for Yourself
The
first step is awareness. Instead of helicoptering over others and taking care
of their needs, helicopter over yourself. See the pattern. Create some special
time for yourself by shedding one thing from your to-do list. How does this
make you feel? The next day, let go of another chore. Instead of that to-do
list, create a "look what I did today list." Find an activity which
makes your heart sing and revive the inner child who had hopes and dreams. Do
you dare to dream anymore?"
Eating
and Exercise
"Food
and mood correlate. Even the order in which you eat your food is important. The
key word is balance. In the book, I give you the food science. Also, exercise
is vital because exercise releases damaging stress hormones,
increases feelings of empowerment and improves focus. Exercise breaks you out
of a negative mindset because 'you mind your muscle'.
"Tip:
When you are highly stressed, walk it off wearing headphones. Music and
exercise create a great synergy to release stress. Walk
with headphones outdoors in the light and you can reset your natural rhythm, the
more intense the stress, the longer the walk. "
How can someone bring his or her stress level
down when going through a challenging time?
"Stress is fueled by
perception". 'Life is a series of recoveries.' Each time you manage a stressor,
you raise your stress threshold to cope with the next stressor - creating
experience and empowerment. Stress management means preparing to reinterpret
those negatives into optimistic resiliency with constant practice beginning
with the little things.
"Everything
is a story, the story we create out of the facts. Re-frame your story. Shift your perception after you've calmed down and come to your senses instead of
numbing them."
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