From time to time, all of us experience stress. Symptoms include
feelings of tension or anxiety, concern about the future,
irritability over insignificant things, lack of energy. We get
hurried, worried and upset over time pressure, resentments,
relationship discord and related knotty travails.
From time to time, all of us experience stress. Symptoms include feelings of tension or anxiety, concern about the future, irritability over insignificant things, lack of energy. We get hurried, worried and upset over time pressure, resentments, relationship discord and related knotty travails.
Besides these aggravators, experts say the “fight or flight” chemical response induced by stress can also be caused by loud music, television and video game noises – things avoided only if you live in a cave. The holiday season ushers in plenty of additional stressors – unrealistic expectations of yourself, financial issues, traffic, crowds, shopping, a visit from your crabby aunt Mabel. Oh, joy!
Doctors say the only way to lower stress is a) to change your surroundings or b) to take medication. My response to that:
a) If we could do something to change crazy-making circumstances, we would have done so long ago, and b) medication isn’t always a viable solution. (Even aspirin makes me sleepy.)
Consider this alternative for surviving stress: Change your outlook on life.
To paraphrase the philosopher Epictetus, events do not cause our distress, but rather our view of those events is what’s all-important. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning we give it. One person stuck waiting in the doctor’s office frets and fumes, while the other relishes a compelling novel. Same occurrence, different interpretation.
The $64,000 question is: “Do I have the power to change this?” If the answer is no, then why get all hot and bothered? If the answer is yes, explore the next best action. Usually there’s something you can do to better cope or to improve the situation.
Tips to reduce stress:
• Plan ahead. Even minimum time spent prioritizing your schedule will help you feel less frayed around the edges.
• Accept limits. Maybe the six dozen homemade cookies can wait until Valentine’s Day.
• Put guilt aside. Replace thoughts like “I need to do this, I have to do that,” with “I prefer to do, if possible.”
• Try tolerance with friends and family. Acceptance brings peace and a lot less frustration.
• Adopt a drug-free method of relaxation. Try meditation, yoga, or prayer.
• Escape from the pressure with something that makes you happy: creative play, an afternoon siesta, a solo walk.
• Practice positive mental chatter. Contentment is dependent upon mental activity. The right thoughts can help you spring to action with a burst of energy. Think, “I have ample time for all I need to do.”
Practice these suggestions and see how they affect your attitude, general health and enjoyment of the holidays!
