Speaking of Stress…

Where does stress come from?

People feel stress in different ways. Some people worry, which is actually a form of fear, which in turn becomes stress. Some people get angry, which in itself feels terrible and is a cause of stress.

There are physical symptoms of stress:

1. pounding heart
2. headaches
3. sweaty palms
4. indigestion
5. skin outbreaks such as cold sores and rashes
6. shortness of breath
7. cold hands and feet
8. sleeplessness
9. oversleeping
10. fatigue
11. nausea
12. diarrhea
13. tight stomach
14. tight muscles
15. low back pain
16. stomach ulcers

There are also mental symptoms of stress

1. Loss of concentration
2. forgetfulness
3. poor judgement
4. disorganization
5. confusion
6. lack of interest, apathy
7. negativity

And emotional symptoms

1. moodiness
2. irritability
3. depression
4. anxiety
5. lack of humor
6. abrasive, harshness
7. hostility
8. nervousness
9. tension
10. sarcasm

How do people deal with their stress? Some people escape into alcohol, drugs, tobacco, overeating, shopping, etc. Unfortunately, however the consequences of these compulsive activities are actually worse than the original stress, which only compounds the issue of stress.

Not everyone reacts to stressful conditions in the same way. Someone else may be happy with the exact things that make us unhappy. This goes to show that stress really is not caused by external conditions, but rather it originates within our own minds. Day in and day out, our mind picks out things that “shouldn’t be this way.”  Some examples would be:

1. I shouldn’t have this body/this partner/this hair/these habits.
2. I shouldn’t be this old/this young/this short/this heavy.

Do you see how our minds tell us over and over, “this is wrong”? For the most part, this is unconscious negative self talk. We react with stress  not to what’s happening around us, but rather to what our inner mind is saying to us. What’s actually happening doesn’t really cause the stress; if it did, then everyone would feel equally stressed by the same things, activities, etc. such as visiting the dentist, commuting or speaking in public. That isn’t the case however. The conditions themselves don’t cause the experience of stress, rather it is our personal reaction to the condition that causes it. Knowing this, we are able to see that we have a choice whether to feel stressed out or not, no matter what is going on around us or in the world. We can make the conscious choice to accept things as they are.