Stress comes in many forms, and is an inescapable, necessary part of life. Not one single person lives free from the phenomenon. Hans Seyle coined the term ‘stress’ to describe “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.” It is one of those words that means many things, depending on the context in which it’s used;
- ‘I can feel the stress of the deadline.’
- ‘I’m so stressed about how I will pay my rent.’
- ‘You kids are stressing me out!’
- ‘Your body is stressed out, and is displaying symptoms.’
I have been experiencing a lot of stress lately. It has been the kind of stress that slowly creeps up on you, as you don’t realize you’ve taken on all these extra tasks, one at a time here and there, then all of the sudden you’re not taking care of yourself like you should be AND THEN it all catches up with you at once. If you’re like me; you find yourself in the emergency room at 30, thinking you’re having a heart attack.
Stress is literally a vital function in physical life.
In the realm of science and physics, stress is a force applied to something, and the strain is calculated by the maximum deformity cause before the object breaks under what is known as ‘breaking stress’.
What do I hear when I read that? A poor explanation of a couple physics theories, AND I understand that life is going to keep pushing back, and that is your stress. What you endure is the strain, sometimes you can see it when you look in the mirror, but sometimes you cannot see it with your eyes. We have covered many different kinds of stress in life so far, but what does one do with all this information?
What I am doing about my stress…
So, here I am working so hard to achieve my inner peace; trying to meditate, drink my water, journaling my feelings, taking baths, get my sleep. Trying to do all the things. But in reality I am acting as a property manager, one year out of a rough pregnancy with 2 toddlers now, trying to start a writing career with blog and a website, working on 5 books at once, planning Pre-K curriculum, working 1 day out of the home and being home with the kids the other 6 days.
No, I’m not stressed, not trying to do it all, I don’t why my body is stressed.
Here’s how I’m making this a strength for me right now…..
Stress doesn’t have to be so negative, I’m trying to use the energy for the things I’m so passionate about, so here I am, breaking down my lessons to hopefully one day put a book together. I am working on a game plan for MY health, like taking my vitamins every day and setting myself up for success with the food I have in the house and what I prepare ahead of time. Spiritually, I am leading family meditation, we aren’t all participating, but maybe one day it will catch on. Personally, Breton and I are learning more about codependency to help keep our relationship strong and growing. We know that taking things one at a time, and working together will make it easier than everybody trying to do it all on their own.
Rachel Hollis’ & Five to Thrive
I was introduced to the work of Rachel Hollis by someone that loves me very much, and for you to know how much I care about you reading this, I want to share something from Rachel Hollis that was a game changer for me, Five to Thrive;
- Get up an hour earlier than you normally do and use the time for YOURSELF.
- Workout for at least thirty minutes.
- Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.
- Give up one food category you know you shouldn’t be eating.
- Write down ten things you’re grateful for every single day.
Giving yourself a new routine will give you something to focus on. This is a short list and totally manageable, aside from just giving up a food category once a month, you are giving yourself this extra hour a day to dedicate to yourself and your growth. The beauty of intentionally taking time for yourself and stating what you are thankful for is that by the time everyone else wakes up is that you don’t feel rushed into your day.
I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart. I am. I am. I am.
Sylvia Plath
You will never overhaul your life in one day, and you will always have things to heal and overcome. Stress will not go away, but you have the power to change how you react to it, and how ready you are for it when it comes. I chose a quote from Sylvia Plath because she also needed help coming back down to the simple things in life, and quieting the world around her. It is up to us to make sure the beat of our hearts is steady and strong, we have all the power. Please share in the comments what helps you with your stress.
- The American Institute of Stress- https://www.stress.org/what-is-stress/
- National Science Foundation- https://www.nde-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Mechanical/StressStrain.htm
- Rachel Hollis- https://www.facebook.com/TheChicSite/posts/well-shoot-i-had-big-plans-to-start-back-with-a-facebook-live-stream-to-kick-off/10154996880591259/