Is stress keeping you up at night? Do you go to bed feeling worn out, yet wake up still tired?
Does worry consume your life?
Unfortunately, these feelings are all too common. But when did this become the “norm"?
We've all witnessed employees crash and burn, become ill mentally and physically because of
overwhelm and the effects of feeling stressed. Did you know that just 5 minutes of
anger/fear/anxiety significantly lowers your immune system for 20 - 30 minutes? I’m sure
you would agree that now is not a good time to be walking around with a low immune
system!
The medical system is not addressing the problem of stress. Aside from some serious
chemical imbalances, medication may dull the emotions but the underlying issue still
remains. Even researchers can't agree on a definition of stress. Early research often credits
external factors, but this could have you believing that you have no control over your
situation or how you feel. In fact, the #1 myth regarding stress is that it's something that
happens to us from an outside source (job, bills, in-laws).
Thankfully current evidence supports internal perception. Most people assume that feelings
just happen and that they can't be controlled. The truth is that stress is experienced entirely
by how we respond to an outside issue.
Every decision we make begins in the mind as a thought. Our thoughts, and the actions they
trigger, determine our experiences and our lives. This is good news because that means that
they are completely under our control. Between a stimulus and a response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose a response.
Improving your “mind health” or “mind resilience” is something we can all do. (I prefer these
terms verses the term mental health, which suggests a problem or that something is broken).
After all, we have cardio health that we maintain by nutrition & exercise; we brush & floss for
dental health. Mind health is just another system that requires daily attention to work
efficiently.
Developing strong mind health can be easily achieved. Simple, yet powerful steps, that
when practiced a few minutes each day, will have you feeling more relaxed and in control of
your life. For example, our thoughts can lower our blood pressure, help us to sleep, make us
happy, alert and content. They can make you feel confident, like a champion. Just like going
to the gym to build muscle strength and endurance, you will be building mind resilience and
mental endurance.
