How To Overcome Your Stress Without Losing Your Mind
At the end of the day, all any of us want for ourselves or the people we love is health and a calm, peaceful mind.
Sometimes it seems elusive.
There is no shortage when it comes to the things that cause stress in our lives:
- Bad events that happen such as sickness or death
- Responsibilities of caring for our loved ones
- Issues at work
- Money problems
- Relationships
- Uncontrolled or unwanted thoughts
- Guilt
- Shame
- Insomnia
All these things can lead to feelings of unhappiness, depression, panic, anxiety that…
Can rob you of your ability to live the life you want to live, but above all, cheat yourself of your ability to express your love.
Not only do they affect you emotionally, but they also have a physical influence.
For example, your heart beats faster and harder, your muscles tense or your head pounds.
A typical reaction to these feelings is wishing they would just go away.
Even though these situations are tough to face they are all part of life that simply won’t go away just because you want them to.
Have you noticed, when you try to run away from or suppress your feelings, the more they sneak back into your life?
I recently saw a quote that said…
“Running away from your problems is a race you cannot win.”
How true!
The harder you try, the worse it becomes.
You need to know that feeling of grief, fear, and dread over our situations can’t be avoided but it’s also important to know that these feelings are only temporary.
But only temporary if you allow them to be.
Most of our stress is usually dwelling on what happened in the past or worrying about what is going to happen in the future.
VISITING THE PAST OR OVERTHINKING THE FUTURE is like living in a time machine.
Doing so saps your ability to enjoy everyday life.
How much of your time do you spend fretting about the past or worrying about the future?
The reality is; there’s not much you can do about what has already happened.
“You can’t put the shit back in the horse.” Anonymous
As far as worrying about things that might happen in the future, a good question to ask is, “is it true?”
Mark Twain had a good perspective of worrying about the future when he said…
“I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
Licensed psychologist Elyssa Barbash’s slant on emotional well-being;
“Depression lives in the past and anxiety lives in the future and alternately, calmness and peace of mind live in the present.”
There are many ways of coping with stress.
One big mistake people make is that they think their stressful feelings must be managed by doctors.
First of all, there is a good chance that anyone having difficulties coping with everyday problems will be diagnosed as depressed or anxious, even if they are not.
Secondly, the first line of treatment is to prescribe medication.
About one out of eight Americans take antidepressant drugs.
Why?
A huge portion of doctors, as well as 85% of the public, accepts that psychiatric drugs are the answer to everyday problems from insomnia, fatigue, a broken heart, and anything that causes stress.
These drugs are prescribed based on the chemical imbalance of the brain theory, a hypothesis that mental issues were a result of biological disease.
The real truth is;
The chemical imbalance theory is nothing but a never-proven hypothesis.
The Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry an organization comprised of psychiatrists and academics states the following…
“There are no known biological causes for any of the psychiatric disorders apart from dementia and some rare chromosomal disorders. Consequently, there are no biological tests such as blood tests or brain scans that can be used to provide independent objective data in support of any psychiatric diagnosis.”
Tips For Relieving Stress
- Exercise is not only good for physical health but many studies show it can lead to better mental health. One such study revealed that exercise was comparable to antidepressants in reducing depression.
- Nutrition
- Mindful MeditationJon Kabat-Zinn the founding Executive Director of The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School runs a program called The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program where over 22,000 people have participated. They reported a 43% reduction in psychological and emotional distress and a 26% reduction in perceived stress.
Each of these approaches can complement each other.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
Anyone who is looking to get off their drugs should NOT STOP TAKING THE DRUG WITHOUT THE HELP FROM A QUALIFIED WITHDRAWAL EXPERT.
STINKING THINKING
Much of the stress in our lives have to do with how we think.
Mark and Angel Chernoff offer strategies for finding lasting happiness, success, love, and peace.
Here is an article about bringing more peace into your life.
20 Tough Truths About Life No One Wants to Admit Right Now (marcandangel.com)
DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK
One of the biggest things that can sabotage our quest for peace and joy is unwanted or intrusive thoughts.
Here is a link showing how to turn the tables on undesirable thoughts...
Coping With Intrusive Thoughts (shondaland.com)
Until next week.
All the best,
Ed Bishop