Stress management is a necessary life-skill! I hear many people speaking about stress as though it is something that happens out there–in the ethers— as if it has no inner impact or effect. This is a dangerous position. It leaves us victim to many of the documented negative results of stress. These negative consequences include decreased immunity, mental fog, uneasy emotions, poor health, disrupted relationships, and poor performance. The following proverb states the truth of many things including stress management!
“Pay attention to the whispers so we won’t have to listen to the screams.” Cherokee Proverb
Definition of Stress
Effective stress management begins with a true understanding of the nature of stress. Essentially stress is anything that causes us to adapt, change, grow—even when it is positive. Positive stress has less of a detrimental effect on us but there is still adaptation involved.
Types of Stress
Generally there are two types of stress: necessary and unnecessary. Unnecessary stress is that which we can eliminate by an honest inventory of where we are scattering our energy, spinning our wheels or not standing for our beliefs, values and self care.
Necessary stress is that which we cannot, or do not want to, reduce or eliminate. This requires that we work with knowledge and awareness in a holistic way to care for mind,body and spirit.
Stress: The Cliff Notes
Stress is a whole person process! The very real physiological effects of stress may not be readily apparent even when they begin to affect our ability to concentrate/focus, maintain emotional equilibrium or spiritual experience.
If we encounter a physically dangerous situation the stress response tends to be re-balanced naturally. Unfortunately most of our stresses are psychological. This means that when our natural fight/flight response gets triggered and we get a cascade of neuro-hormaonal changes that affect every system in our body…we are stuck with it unless we provide an intervention of some kind. Exercise can take care of some of the accumulated effects, but it does not create an inner environment conducive to healing, release, and rejuvenation. Deep relaxation and meditation are the means that accomplish that.
With deep relaxation and meditation we reach a level where mind and body can really clear out the toxins and activate healing at a cellular level. This eliminates the effects of the stress response and also develops stress hardiness that helps us to be less vulnerable to future stress.
Making ourselves a priority and developing a self-care practice that includes 20 minutes of some form of meditation twice a day (ideally at sunrise and sunset) can prevent much greater distress later when the bill for unrelenting stress comes due!
Our recording Relaxation 101 was expressly designed to release the effects of stress and deliver you into a healing state that release tension on all levels, help heal the adrenal glands and restore mental clarity.
Relaxation 101 : A guided meditation that relaxes your body quiets your mind leading you into deep states of inner peace, tranquility and harmony. http://bit.ly/20McM1D
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