A perspective on stress management
Recently this story was making its way around Facebook. I thought it was a great launching point for a discussion of stress management: ”A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while explaining stress management to an audience . Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’ She fooled them all. “How heavy is this glass of water?”, she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied , “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”
“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up tomorrow, if you choose.”
At this juncture, the question usually is “So how do I put it down?”. Let me give you a few ways to release stress so it doesn’t become as burdensome as the glass of water held too long. Feel free to try one or all of them and let me know what you get for results.
Make a “purge list”. Write down everything that’s on your mind. You don’t have to come up with solutions or belabor the list; merely write down everything that rolls around in your mind with the intention that committing it to paper means you don’t have to keep it in mind. You know where to go to pick it up again if you choose.
Breathe! Oftentimes, when we are stressed, our breathing gets very shallow and focused in our chest. Practice filling your belly with air first, then your chest, then just let the air fall out of your lungs. Repeat for a minimum of 10 rounds with every exhale followed immediately by an inhale.
Do some stretching. Press your shoulders back and forth repeatedly. Twist at the waist. Reach above your head and stretch tall. All of these will help get your blood flowing and muscles releasing tension.
Practice turning your worries over to God or a higher power. Your conversation may go something like this “Ok, God, I’m handing this one over to you because I have no idea what to do about it. Give it your best shot and let me know what you’d like me to do with it”.
Stress is something that impacts all of us. How we manage it is in our own hands. Taking the time to practice these techniques and others will go a long way toward keeping you healthy and happy despite stress.