Stop it! Right now, stop it! I feel the tension and anxiety
building in your mind and body. I feel the effects of your hectic life taking
its toll and you beginning to stress out.
So, my message for you today is simply….STOP IT!
Ok, take a deep breath…feel the air deeply filling your
lungs, until your chest is inflated. Now slowly release the air, while also
consciously releasing the stress and
whatever situation is causing it……REPEAT. Feel better?
Stress is a universal part of the human experience. Stress
is a common denominator; no matter what walk of life from which we come, we all
experience it. However, our stress has undergone an evolution throughout the
centuries. While our ancestors’ stress was a necessary survival technique to
negotiate the wilderness around them (saber tooth tigers and the such), the
majority of our modern day stress is largely situational (traffic, kids, work)
and can be easily manipulated if not all together avoided. Below is portion of
a presentation I gave to students of the Interdisciplinary National Leadership
Organization (INLO) of the University of Texas at Arlington (where for the past
two years I have served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, teaching classes in
interdisciplinary theory and research). These are some tricks of the trade as
it relates to effectively managing stress.
·
First, recognize that there is both good stress
(eustress) and bad stress (distress). Clearly, what is good for one might be
bad for another, and what begins as good stress could easily become bad. However,
some examples of eustress might
include planning a wedding or other big celebration, a deadline for a project
or staring a new job. Eustress can help motivate and challenge us to do and be our
best. Distress, on the other hand, is destructive and is both mentally and
physically taxing.
·
The key is BALANCE and PERSPECTIVE. So, in order
to eliminate distress or transform it into eustress, we must manipulate our
body’s natural response to stress, fight
or flight, and counteract stress’s negative effects in a balanced and
wholistic way.
1.
PHYSICAL: As we seek to understand and
neutralize the fight or flight response in our bodies, it is helpful if we:
a.
Gain Control of Your Breathing (try yoga, tai
chi, meditation)
b.
Exercise (especially our “fight or flight”
muscles, which include our arms and legs through jobbing, walking or shadow
boxing/punching bag or lifting weights)
c.
Get a Massage
d.
Take a Hot Bath
e.
Laugh
f.
Cry
2.
MENTAL: If we learn to soothe our troubled
minds, we would be surprised how easily our stress will melt away.
a.
Get Away from the Noise-Find some quiet time.
b.
Meditate/Use Your Imagination- See yourself in a
tranquil place or visualize a better situation.
c.
Create a Mantra- Repeat a helpful quote or word.
d.
Listen to Calming Music (classical or gospel always
works for me).
3.
SPIRITUAL: Most of our stress can be treated
with a change of perspective (remember, when you change the way you look at
things, the things you look at change).
a.
See Problems as Opportunities.
b.
Don't Take it Personally- Understand that
sometimes there is no right answer.
And sometimes new things aren’t necessarily right or wrong, better or
worse, but rather just different.
c.
Refute Negative Thoughts- Tell yourself a
different story.
d.
Control Yourself, Not Others.
e.
Be Yourself.
f.
Surrender/It is What is It Is/Let Go and Let God
g.
Self-Belief/Self-Confidence- You are bigger than
this situation and it too will pass.
If we’re not careful, stress can take us out, creating a
distraction from our purpose and unnecessary drama. We all experience it but
likewise, we also have the ability to offset its effects and eliminate the
negativity from our lives. So, the next
time you encounter a stressful moment…make a different choice. Don’t react,
but rather choose peace and love. Go within yourself, take a step back, maybe
employ some of the techniques above, but most importantly smile, remembering…..
This is not the end of your story. Your best days are not
behind you, they are ahead of you. Breathe deeply and release all stress keep
looking ahead because you have #bigthingscoming!
Too Blessed to be Stressed!
~Ray
NOTE: If you’re new to the site it might be helpful to read
my first introductory post. Also, feel free to post your questions or comments
here and you can always reach out to me on Twitter @raycjordan using the hash
tag #bigthingscoming.
(Copyright,
2013, Ray Jordan)
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