The Effects of Stress in Your Life
The effects of stress in your life can be the reason for many physical ailments which can be slight, or extreme that we might dismiss or seek medical attention for. As a pain or emotional state increases it is always important to try to reveal the root of the problem rather than covering over it. There are many articles that can be researched that are written about stress and how it can affect a person’s physical and mental state. The Mayo Clinic website at mayoclinic.org shares articles about the effects of stress on your body, on your mood and on your behavior. As we live in modern society it is difficult to try to live without stress. If we look at the past it is obvious that there have always been situations that have caused stress for people. There are choices we can make to try to minimize the amount of stress that we cope with every day.
A full daily schedule might need to be prioritize for what you are truly capable of performing in the amount of time you have. In a time when electronic devices and television shows also dictate a portion of people’s time it might be necessary to simply turn off such devices to limit the external noise that can add to the stress. There is research that expresses the effect of using technological devices just before trying to go to sleep at night. The National Sleep Foundation at sleepfoundation.org mentions that sleep can be affected when using these devices just before you try to go to sleep. If this practice decreases your ability to sleep well, you might be inadvertently adding stress on your body at a time when your body needs to decompress and release the stress and anxieties of that day.
The idea of “Laughing in Your Sleep” means that you need to find a way to release the stress. It will be better to fall asleep with thoughts that are relaxed and pleasant rather than bringing stress from one day into the next.
There are breathing exercises you can begin that will help calm your mind. There are simple stretching techniques that will relieve tight muscles. There are positive words you can use to achieve a balance in your thoughts. If thinking and saying negative words and thoughts have become a habit when stressful situations begin, then those words can influence your reactions and possibly the outcome.
The Mayo Clinic’s Stress Management article on their Healthy Lifestyle webpage stated that “Exercise in almost any form can act as a stress reliever. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from your worries.”
You might ask yourself why things always happen to you. The truth is that circumstances that create stress, anxiety or turmoil in life have been around for centuries. A king from ancient times known as King Solomon, (/ˈsɒləmən/ Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה, Shlomoh),[a] also called Jedidiah (Hebrew יְדִידְיָהּ Yedidyah) as noted on en.wikipedia.org, lived in the 10th century BCE. The end of a passage credited to him and translated from the Classical Hebrew language found in the Bible at Ecclesiastes 9:11 that refers to all men from all walks of life states, “…time and chance happen to them all.” (biblehub.com)
It is sensible to believe that during civilizations nearly three thousand years ago stressful situations happened to everyone and more than likely they were affected just the same as what we cope with today.
If we only had to deal with one situation at a time and there was time in between to relax we might not feel overwhelmed. However, how many times have you felt that there is one situation after another which eventually becomes too much to handle? In the play “Hamlet,” Act IV Scene V, written by Shakespeare around the year 1599 A.D. the character Claudius stated, “When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.”
As time goes by in our life, we should be able to understand that each day will bring new situations and anxieties, possibly multiple sorrows. How we choose to react and cope with the situation is up to us to decide. There are automatic responses that our body will exhibit, but when you can train your mind to think through the situation and react appropriately you might find that you can lower your stress level.
Try asking yourself these questions:
What is the best course of action?
Can I change the outcome?
What are the options and alternatives?
The Cleveland Clinic at my.clevelandclinic.org defines stress as, “…the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response.” On healthline.com they state that “Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come.”
If things in life have taken control of your time and serenity you must decide when to take back that control. Would you rather that life always dictates your response, or would you like to be able to control the feelings of stress and anxiety?
Eventually, reality is going to happen. Whatever situation you are dealing with, life will continue to move on. When you make the effort to work on lowering your stress level, you will find that you have the courage and fortitude to get through every situation.
Someone told me that “when things in their life were not going well, they still had to get out of bed and put their boots on.” Is it possible that taking on each new day with both boots on your feet will help you to be prepared for that day’s journey and you will walk easier?
Something to think about even though we can get caught up in the moment, if you ask yourself if it will matter in a hundred years the answer is probably going to be obvious. Evaluate your situation and put things in perspective when considering their importance and how it can affect your health. When you make the needed changes in your life, which will in turn alleviate your responses to the stressful situations, you can get to a point where you can Laugh In Your Sleep rather than worrying the night away.
A useful tip is to just write down the thought on a notepad and leave it until morning, so that you can clear your mind.
Articles of Reference:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/basics/stress-basics/hlv-20049495
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/why-electronics-may-stimulate-you-bed https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon
https://biblehub.com/text/ecclesiastes/9-11.htm
https://learnodo-newtonic.com/famous-hamlet-quotes
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety
