The Myths and Truths about Stress

The greatest myths that stress free living exists at all.

The only time you are truly stress free is when you are no longer living.

So what generates stress? A stressor is a stimulus that knocks our body off balance. It can be small or very big. It can a thought, an emotion, a physical stress or lack thereof or it can be chemical/nutritional or lack thereof. There are three kinds of stress… that’s right three!

The first is chronic stress which we all know is toxic, causes a state of inflammation and can be deadly.

The second is Good stress or Eustress. It can be life saving, like jumping out of harm’s way, or recovering after surgery, or giving the best performance of you life.

The third is is the kind that stress researcher Dr Enayati talks about in her 2015 book ” Seeking serenity: the 10 new rules for health and happiness in the age of anxiety”
That kind of stress is called Tolerable Stress

This is the kind of stress that that can help you grow, learn, evolve, and become the person you want to be. It is the kind of stress that is between the high and the low. The kind os stress that philosophers talk about.” what does not kill you makes you stronger” or “the wound is where the light enters”

This is the kind of stress that can act as a source of power to create new frameworks, profound insights and help us step back and view ourselves from above.

Reframing and story-telling are two excellent ways to combat toxic stress. Taking a virtuoso narrative instead of a vicious one. Self talk is a useful tool that serve to help you propel and grow. Athletes use this technique often to push the boundaries of fear. Journaling is considered another great tool. It is a way of telling our story even if we do not decide to share with others. There are lots of studies to support that journalling helps us make sense of tough situations.

Obstacles in the path can become the path for many of us and my favorite Quote ” If not that then, Not this now” Not always apparent in the thick of turmoil however it is Truth.