Have you been tripping on uneven pavements and bumping into furniture or people more than usual? Have stairs become your enemy? Have you become a menace in the produce section of your local supermarket? What about cooking – more cuts and burns? If the answer is yes to these questions, consider the possibility that you are stressed which is causing you to go about activities of daily living with a loose mind. You are not focused on the present moment, but instead think about the future, what’s next on the to-do list or relive a past upset.
Don’t be fooled! The stress response will make you feel hyper-vigilant. Ironically, this gives you a false sense of control, because in reality you are out of your mind with that surge of adrenalin. Be aware that you are most likely to send that email you will later regret, bump into a door, or worse commit an act of road rage. Road rage can happen even in your living room as you unleash your anger on the unlucky person in your path.
In my book, Addicted to Stress, I document the example of a single mother who was upset that her two elementary school-aged daughters were running late for school which was making her late for work too. She was screaming at them to hurry up, when she walked smack into a metal door and broke her nose. After emergency surgery and a few days off from work, she confided that breaking her nose wasn’t so bad because it gave her some much needed down time: “I found some stolen hours.” However, a better strategy would be not to let others steal your precious time.
Don’t wait to be sick and tired to allow yourself some “guilt-free” relaxation. The goal in stress management is to feel reasonably happy by maintaining a healthy balance between work and relaxation, mind and body. Learn to follow you heart which rests in between beats. Have the intent to schedule a daily power hour. While your head could be pointed to the expansive sky looking for inspiration to give wings to your dreams, your eyes have to quickly survey the earth to stay grounded. When you single task, complete and move on to the next, you feel alive and alert. Stress will always land on your doorstep, but you don’t have to constantly open the door.
For more information on managing your stress and reclaiming your life read my book, Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life. To listen to archived radio shows with guest experts visit Turn On Your Inner Light Radio Show
Don’t be fooled! The stress response will make you feel hyper-vigilant. Ironically, this gives you a false sense of control, because in reality you are out of your mind with that surge of adrenalin. Be aware that you are most likely to send that email you will later regret, bump into a door, or worse commit an act of road rage. Road rage can happen even in your living room as you unleash your anger on the unlucky person in your path.
In my book, Addicted to Stress, I document the example of a single mother who was upset that her two elementary school-aged daughters were running late for school which was making her late for work too. She was screaming at them to hurry up, when she walked smack into a metal door and broke her nose. After emergency surgery and a few days off from work, she confided that breaking her nose wasn’t so bad because it gave her some much needed down time: “I found some stolen hours.” However, a better strategy would be not to let others steal your precious time.
Don’t wait to be sick and tired to allow yourself some “guilt-free” relaxation. The goal in stress management is to feel reasonably happy by maintaining a healthy balance between work and relaxation, mind and body. Learn to follow you heart which rests in between beats. Have the intent to schedule a daily power hour. While your head could be pointed to the expansive sky looking for inspiration to give wings to your dreams, your eyes have to quickly survey the earth to stay grounded. When you single task, complete and move on to the next, you feel alive and alert. Stress will always land on your doorstep, but you don’t have to constantly open the door.
For more information on managing your stress and reclaiming your life read my book, Addicted to Stress: A Woman's 7 Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life. To listen to archived radio shows with guest experts visit Turn On Your Inner Light Radio Show
