Stress or Relaxation?

meditation provide valuable tools for paradigm shifts, allowing us to let go and take control of our lives and our world in more positive and healthy ways.

Stress or Relaxation?

Relaxation is a choice we can make as we go along life’s paths. It’s important to know how and what to choose. Many people believe that stress is totally dependent upon their life situations. Some people simply have more stressful lives than others. To an extent, that is true. It is more stressful when living with too many responsibilities, being constantly dissatisfied, or having chronic worries. These three factors are influenced by our patterns of behavior and play a great part in our general level of stress or relaxation. Check yourself out on the following behaviors. Which category holds the most stress for you? Check all that apply!

Stress Due to Too Many Responsibilities

You are feeling stress due to excessive responsibilities when…  You find yourself with not enough time to complete your work.  You often become confused and cannot think clearly because too many things are happening at once.  You become depressed when you consider all the things that you need to do.  You skip meals so you can get your work done.

Total _____

Stress Due to Dissatisfaction

Your stress is coming from dissatisfaction when…  You get upset when someone in front of you drives too slowly.  Your plans depend on the actions of others.  You become anxious when your plans don’t flow smoothly.  You hate to have your activities and plans disturbed by anything or anyone.

Total _____

Stress Due to Worry

Your stress is due to chronic worry when…  You tend to imagine all the worst possible things that could happen to you as a result of whatever crisis you are in.  You relive in your mind the crisis over and over again, even though it may be over and resolved.  You are able to picture the crisis clearly in your mind weeks after it is over and done with.  You can feel your heart pounding in your chest or your muscles tensing up.  You have so many thoughts in your head that you actually have difficulty thinking.

Total _____

What are your totals? The area with the most checks is one for you to keep in mind as we move through this chapter because our initial attitude toward a life event determines our stress, not the event itself. To one person, a roller coaster ride is stressful; to another, it is a form of relaxation. We have learned to interpret events as stressful or relaxing from our families and friends. For example, to my mother, going on a car trip was stressful. What if the brakes failed, what if we ran out of gas, what if we blew a tire? For years after leaving home, I developed high levels of stress whenever I thought of driving away. Then two events occurred. I bought a car I loved and took a position at a university that required a lot of car trips. Between enjoying driving my new car and looking forward to meeting new people and seeing new places with expenses paid, I relearned to enjoy trips by car.

Think about some of the stress attitudes you may have inherited. Here are some that might come to mind: • Waiting in lines is always stressful. • If something takes too long, it’s only natural to become upset. • It is all right to lose your temper under stress. Everyone does it. • It’s not worth doing anything if I’m not going to win!