Stress and you! Good or Bad?
Stress! Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
I am often asked about stress by clients and friends.
Welllll, the simple answer is yes!  It is both. It can be good or it can be bad for you.
Many things in our life constitute stress. Â Lack of sleep, dehydration, sitting watching the news, arguing with your partner, eating too much and worrying about money. Â All of these are stress and all of them are things to avoid. Â They all cause stress on your body and cause it to adapt and change. Â Because your brain is an adaptive organ, it too is changed by stress. Â If the stress lasts too long it can cause permanent changes in your brain. Â This can lead to anxiety, depression, insomnia or any one of a range of mental illnesses.
Other things too are stressful. Â Sports, swimming, playing games, talking to friends, socializing, exercising and hunger. All of these things are stress but all have a positive long term affect on our bodies and brains. Â As we change and adapt, according to the stress on our bodies, we become more or less healthy.
The simple answer then, is simply to choose our stressors.  Just like exercise it is important to use a range of stresses that build our bodies and minds in ways that we want.  We have all seen pictures of gym junkies who have focused too much on one set of muscles, at the expense of others.  They look unbalanced and unhealthy.  Choosing a balanced set of stresses allows us to build a balnced and healthy body and mind.
How do we avoid stresses we do not want in our lives?
Most simply stated, manage your environment.
- If your workplaces is unhappy or unhealthy… leave!
- If you are always tired, change your bedroom and sleep habits.
- Drink more water and less soda, coffee and juices.
- Avoid processed or prepared foods, go hungry for a day or 2, eat with someone else never alone (really).
- Play group games or sports.
- Join a walking group.
- Use public transport and leave the car at home.
- Tape television and watch it at your leisure not when the channel wants you too watch, better yet, turn it off altogether.
The simplest rule to remember is that the more in control of your environment, body and mind, you are, the more healthy you are likely to be. Â Have a set schedule and do not change it on the weekends. Â If you go to bed at 9.30PM then do that every day. Â If you go for a walk at 5.30AM, do that everyday. Â Manage yourself and your environment for your own long term benefit.
And most of all, remember to smile.
February 28, 2009
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Tags: excercise, Health, stress, wellness · Posted in: Health
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