The Choice is Yours … Stressed or Not

How do you do life?

If I met you … what sense would I get from you?

Hurried. Anxious. Calm. Stressed. Peaceful.

Being hurried and stressed doesn’t just cause zebras to unravel — it can do the same to you.

Seriously.

Studies have shown that people that are always in a hurry and/or stressed have more health issues … everything ranging from headaches to ulcers to heart attacks. Not to mention that people that are always anxious and hurried are not a lot of fun to be around.

How do you want to go through life?

The choice is yours.

How you move through life is a choice you make.

Yes, it is.

It’s not your spouse, your kids or mother’s fault. It’s not your job, circumstances or car’s fault.

Pause. Pause as you walk. As you move. As you go through your house. As you go out your door.

Take a deep breath.

Look around.

Look for something you like … a picture, painting, flower, book or the color of your room that you loved last year (or ten years ago) when you painted it. If you have nothing in your house that brings you joy … maybe you need to get something. Not something that costs a lot of money, but something that has meaning to you.

Allow the beauty, the memory, the joy, the familiar feel to fill you.

Take a deep breath.

Maybe close your eyes as you take another deep breath.

In that moment, allow yourself to be content.

If the kids yelled at each other. If your budget is tight. If your spouse is frustrated. If you’re alone. If you are waiting on a doctor’s call. If it’s raining (literally and figuratively)

Pause. Breathe.

You are breathing, so you are alive. You are feeling, so you aren’t numb. At that moment you are okay. Even if you don’t know what the next moment will bring. No stressing needed.

No matter what your circumstances you have a choice on the level of stress you carry.

Yes, you do.

While driving — you can be stressed about the time, the traffic or the slowpoke in front of you. Or you can glance up at the sky or the white clouds and take a deep breath. Absorb the beauty. If it’s raining, watch a raindrop as it makes it way from the top of your  windshield to the bottom (while keeping your eyes on the road) and marvel at the form of it.

This doesn’t mean you don’t have goals and that you don’t work to bring change to your life … but you don’t have to stress in the process. If your diet and/or exercise isn’t healthy, you should take steps to change it — but don’t stress about it. If you want to switch jobs, work on doing that — but don’t stress about it. Educate yourself as much as possible about the wanted changes, then take steps to do them — no stressing needed.

If you have big stress issues, like relationships … do something about it. If there’s abuse and/or danger of it … make a choice to get out. If there is strain, disrespect or any of the myriad of issues that can crop up in a relationship … do something about it. You can’t change the other person, but you can change yourself … and sometimes changes to yourself bring change to the relationship.

If you’ve talked about the same issue, over and over again, have a new conversation about it. Address it differently. Pause. Take a deep breathe. Listen. Since relationship issues involve more than one person, sometimes a referee in the form of a counselor is needed. Make a choice to educate yourself and decrease your stress triggers.

The choice is yours … go through life stressed or not.

The amazing thing is that simply by pausing frequently and making wise choices, you might be able to avoid some unraveling. Some medical issues, pain, pills and more. Plus people will enjoy you more … which will give you even more beautiful reasons to pause and smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are you stressed? Why or why not? Any tips to share on how to deal with stress when life is stressful?