existence: Stress

Your Personal Strategy for stress

We now know that at any given moment each and every cell in our bodies can be in only one of two modes: either growth or protection. And when a person experiences stress, the body initiates as many as 1400 stress responses including the dumping of a variety of chemicals into our blood stream, which gives a momentary boost to do whatever needs to be done to survive.

However this protection mode consumes or diverts nutrients away from the normal growth and maintenance of the body. And if stress is left unchecked, the cells begin to starve, which eventually causes health problems. Stress causes or contributes to almost all illness.

We are hard wired to continually scan for danger. Anything that threatens your well being is stressful, even if it only appears threatening. Anything that looks, smells, or feels threatening automatically gets our attention. It is important to know that perceived stress can be as harmful as actual stress.

Since industrialization there is more stress, more types of stress, and it is more persistent. As populations increase, there are more people and more of everything, but the media focuses on negativity. The media is profit driven and highly competitive and think they must grab and hold your attention in order to survive. So the media has become toxic. When they say, "Now lets have the news," you know very well it is not the good news but the bad.

The average teenager has seen on TV about 20,000 acts of lethal violence. And to make matters worse, the appropriate mode of feeling and behavior has become so clouded that genuine human response is rare. Negativity and indifference are rampant.

Consequently many people become negative. Their conversations center on what is wrong. If you allow it, they will sabotage your life force as they do their own. Keep with the well ones, and don't foul your own nest. To what will you pay your attention is the central issue.

In the recent past we have made great strides in understanding the brain and how it works. In the past few decades, neuroscience has learned more about consciousness than in all of history. In the distant future these decades will be remembered as the dawn of understanding the world and understanding ourselves.

If we are to have control of our lives, developing our own personal stress management strategy is important. Avoid toxic emotions, toxic media, toxic people, and toxic food. Envision and find ways to become healthier and more spiritual. Various studies show that one of the best ways to do this is by meditating for at least 20 minutes, preferably twice a day.

The more change that is happening, the more important it is to stick to your regular schedule—as much as possible. Having some things that stay the same, like walking the dog every morning at 8 am, gives us an anchor. An anchor is a reminder that some things are still the same, and it gives your brain a little bit of a rest. Sometimes when you are going through a lot of change it helps to write down your routine and check it off as you go. It's one less thing for your brain to have to hold inside.

In a time of change, you may feel a little out of control. You may feel like you are not living up to your expectations for yourself. Nothing says you have to function at 100 percent all the time. People make mistakes—it's one of the great things about being human. It's learning from the mistakes that really counts.

Make a point to incorporate more laughter and fun into your life. Laughing increases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins—and that makes you feel good. Laughing also decreases cortisol—a stress-producing hormone.

Change presents us with the opportunity to grow, and it's important to acknowledge how things have become better as a result. When thing go well, make a mental note and think gratitude.

Practicing gratitude allows our brains to release serotonin and dopamine—two “feel good” chemicals that positively impact mood, willpower, and motivation. And regularly engaging in a gratitude practice strengthens these neural pathways. Over time, practicing gratitude will “train” your brain to focus on what’s going well, and that leads to all sorts of positive outcomes—mental and physical. Researchers found that serotonin significantly accelerated cell migration and the healing process.

Whatever your vibes are is the kind of experiences you will attract -- The Law of Attraction