Stressed Out
You may not be old enough to remember the line for the rock song, “Just checked in to see what condition my condition was in.” I’d give credit to the artists, but I can’t remember who they are.
Anyway, if you sometimes resemble the guy on the left, that’s bad. Stress is bad – very bad. Here’s the interesting thing. We all know stress is bad. And what else? We know we should:
- Eat right
- Exercise
- Avoid stress.
So, what happens? Well, we “stress out” because we’re not following our diet. We “stress out” because we’re skipping our workouts. And here’s the best one, we “stress out” because we are, well, “stressed out!” So, what’s supposed to be good for us (eating well and exercising) becomes bad for us. I tell you, these humans are strange creatures.
Let me suggest something. Periodically throughout your day, stop. Notice your physical and mental state. My guess is that you’ll find that your shoulders and neck are tense, and your face, particularly around the eyes and forehead, is drawn. Hello wrinkles.
Try this. Just take breaks throughout your day to de-stress. It will take less than a couple of minutes each time you do it. First, notice your state as above. Then, slowly take a deep breath through your nose. Imagine the air coming in and circulating to all parts of your body. Feel the soothing effect of the air circulating throughout your body. Focus your attention on your breath only. Hold the breath for several seconds, then exhale through your mouth, imagining the breath carrying the stress out with it. Feel your mind and body relaxing.
As I said, this will take 2 minutes or less, and I promise you, you will feel better and be more productive when it’s done.
