What is your current relationship with stress? Do you hide from it, or try to run away? Or do you make a deal that if you work hard enough, it should go away. If your current relationship is not working, how about renegotiation?
First, let’s understand what stress is. From the original definition by Dr. Hans Selye, stress is “The non-specific response of an organism to any pressure or demand.” Notice how stress is not judged as good or bad, but simply a generalized response. Our first clue to this new relationship: non-judgment.
And what is this generalized response? When we perceive a threat, hormones are released into our body. In response, these hormones trigger an elevation in heart rate, increase rate of breathing, blood shifts from the central core out to muscles of arms and legs and senses become more acute. The second clue to our new relationship: stress is about our body preparing.
And what are we preparing for? The stress reaction allows us to take action. The “Fight or Flight” reaction mobilizes our resources toward this end. Now to the third clue towards our new relationship. After we take action, our body naturally returns to a state of rest and recovery.
Now let’s put all the clues together: our stress reaction is neither good nor bad and is about short-term action followed by recovery. Our body evolved not to be in a chronic stress state, but to shift between action and rest. The stress reaction can be extremely beneficial when we need to call upon all our resources for a burst of action; be it giving a presentation, rounding the bases for home plate or dodging an errant bicyclist. And then our bodies require rest and recharge.
Unfortunately, this burst of action state has been mistaken for a new baseline. We become rewarded for this action state and forget that it requires a complimentary period of rest and relaxation. We place undue expectations that we SHOULD be capable of that level of action at all times. This all action and no rest leads to depression, anxiety, and a whole host of chronic medical issues.
Consider bringing balance to your day, including both action and rest. Balance arises out of choice in this moment. Choice arises out of recognition. Recognition arises out of awareness. Awareness arises out of intention. Mindfulness practices support both intention and awareness.
Welcome to a new relationship with stress!
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new years, stress
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