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Relaxing in the Middle of the Storm

27 Aug

Posted by Steve as Health

Do you ever have times when your stress level saps your health, your stamina, and your capacity to think?

When you are sick, your spouse is sick, your kids are sick, you are buried in work, your co-workers are buried in work, and everyone seems to need more and more and more of you? The demands on you exceed your bandwidth? And the people you normally ask for help are under more stress than you?

Have you had times when this has gone on for weeks? And on top of it, there is a death in the family or serious illness combined with a financial hardship? Then your car breaks down? Your basement leaks? A tree falls on your house?

What can you do? How can a person handle such stress?

Read this… and learn to relax in the middle of the storm. After all, the storm is your life right now and you created it. Live it.

5 Responses

Kelvin

August 27th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
1

Speaking of storms, have you read Steve Pavlina’s new post? I liked that one a lot. =)
KimBooSan

August 28th, 2007 at 9:34 am
2

Oh jeeze, I just usually have a nervous breakdown. Very calming. ;-}

I think the biggest hurdle is the matter of self-awareness. I find stressed-out people to be so busy stressing that they refuse to give any time to coping (“Oh I’ll handle my stress once the bills are paid/the kids are grown/I get a new boss/etc.”) Part of it is that by focusing on the stress, they do not have to “go meta”, that is, look at the bigger issues and their responsibility for them. For some, that idea is more terrifying than just being perpetually stressed out.

For me the turning point came when I truly realized that I had nothing left to lose: I was homeless, penniless, jobless, and verging on divorce. Only then did I sit back and think about solving my problems rather than just stressing over them. Only then did meditation and self reflection look like better ideas than crying myself to sleep.

Well, eh, nothing good comes easy. Even peace and tranquility!

Thanks for the link, Steve. Always good stuff here.
Nneka | Spirituality Blog

August 30th, 2007 at 9:02 am
3

Hi Steve, I’ve been there. The only thing that’s been effective for me is being still. I just stop, sit, and be. Let the pieces fall where they may. It is exceptionally effective.

In Spirit,
Nneka
Helen

August 30th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
4

It’s definitely more than enough stress one can handle.
I will most probably lose my mind when those series of events happen.
Pamela

September 2nd, 2007 at 6:05 pm
5

It’s one of those days.
Whenever I experience something like this, I just pause and clear my mind of all the worries and distraction. It helps me get a peace of mind during those stressful times.