Step Five - Stress
It is easy to see why we put Stress into the confusing and contradictory category of "can't live with it, can't live without it." We view stress as an illness, a bad thing that needs to be avoided but then deliberately load our life with multiple stress inducing situations that are exciting and stimulating but can also ultimately result in disappointment and exhaustion.
Control and balance are the two key aspects of maintaining healthy levels of stress.
Negative Stress occurs from doing the same action for too long as this will ultimately upset the natural healthy balance of our body.
Everything we do has the potential to cause bodily harm even if we perceive it as healthy.
You will be glad to know excessive exercise or fruit eating can be harmful and moderated intakes of chocolate and alcohol can be beneficial.
It is a question of balance and this equation also explains our love hate relationship with stress. Like overloading one side of a set of scales, too much pressure on one side results in excessive strain and too little on the other makes it weak. In life our Stress balance can be upset by too much work and no home life, too much inactivity and little action or too much responsibility and no fun. Stress is not the problem, the imbalance of it is. Gain control of your Stress by organizing you mind and planning your life. Don't ignore it, deal with it may seem scary and difficult but it will make Stress manageable.
- Write down all your stresses and why you feel you cannot deal with them. Why you can't deal with them? Perhaps you are trying to deal with too many things all at once or perhaps you are being too ambitious? Think small - small manageable steps improve and resolve when one big step won't.
- Are you being realistic? Some Stresses will not go away completely but they could be improved. By accepting a situation as it is, no matter how negative, you can then do something proactive to improve or change it no matter how small.
- Are they really that important? Often we make demanding and difficult things a priority when in fact they are not important. For example, no one likes housework so we avoid it, the mess causes us anxiety and we neglect our loved ones because we are dominated by our anxiety. But which is the most important, having a happy relationship or the ironing? If you plan, you can divide your time between both.
- Be prepared and have a plan B. If you go through life jumping from one emergency to another and always being late, take a step back and make a plan. If you work out potential pit falls before hand then knowing how to deal with them if they occur makes things run smoother, takes less time and removes anxiety.
I hope we have inspired you to make your life a healthy one but if you are still not convinced ask yourself this question. What happens if I don't do it? If the answer is nothing, then you must be in good shape already but if you can see your life spiraling into a negative situation, what better motivation is that?