Get the Stress Outta Here - Points to Consider

Stress enters into your system by a means of many different issues, we've seen patterns to our lifestyle, that can bring stress, in fact, just about anything can bring stress into our life, and it's also equally true that many things which we might believe are stressful, are in fact, good for us. A certain amount of cautious life based stress is going to exist in the person who is doing anything. We aren't suggesting any monastic type of behavior that takes you out of life, what we suggest, rather than even sessions of intense stress management, is that you master this simple art, as you live out your life, and thus take out some of the stress in your life.

A stress specialist, Dr. Michael Millett, noted the following illnesses are caused by stress: Asthma, Phobias, Stress headaches, Allergies, Nervous colitis Social Phobias, and a list that is more extensive, you can check it out at:
http://www.elevated.fsnet.co.uk/index-page18.html

This list is by no means exclusive, and when you examine it, you find that so many times in any culture, people who are putting themselves into so much stress don't need to, but they believe that they need to. This perception is in itself, harmful, and the antidote to such is stillness. Just as the opposite of motion is to stop, so the opposite of noise in our life is stillness.

So we have looked at how busy our lives are, we don't need to stop and examine that one, we know they are. We have looked at how various parts of our lives are so crammed with activity that we have to put aside time to be still. We have also covered the interesting concept that we not set aside time, but use our life, to master the triggers that bring on stress, by being still when we can. Now we move into other areas about stillness that you may find hard to believe, it's almost like a Ripley's "Believe it or Not," about stress.

"Work or school more than 40 hours per week adds 40 stress points to your life."
[Teach health, 2007]

"Stress can be productive or destructive, depending on what type of stress it is, and how much stress you may be dealing with at any given time. Evaluate the following stressors according to what you have experienced in the past year.
100 ________DEATH OF A SPOUSE
73_________DIVORCE
65_________MARITAL SEPARATION FROM SIGNIFICANT OTHER
63_________DETENTION IN JAIL OR OTHER INSTITUTE
63_________DEATH OF A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER
53_________MAJOR PERSONAL INJURY OR ILLNESS
50_________MARRIAGE
47_________BEING FIRED AT WORK
45_________MARITAL RECONCILIATION WITH MATE

45_________RETIREMENT FROM WORK
44_________MAJOR CHANGE IN THE HEALTH OR BEHAVIOR OF A FAMILY MEMBER
40_________PREGNANCY
39_________SEXUAL DIFFICULTIES
39_________GAINING A NEW FAMILY MEMBER (BIRTH, ADOPTION OR OLDSTER MOVING BACK IN)
38_________MAJOR CHANGE IN FINANCIAL STATE (WORSE OFF OR BETTER OFF)
37_________DEATH OF A CLOSE FRIEND
36_________CHANGING TO A DIFFERENT LINE OF WORK
35_________MAJOR CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF ARGUMENTS WITH SPOUSE (EITHER A LOT MORE OR LESS THAN USUAL REGARDING CHILDREARING, PERSONAL HABITS, ETC.)

31_________TAKING ON A MORTGAGE, GREATER THAN $10,000 (PURCHASE OF HOME, BUSINESS, ETC.)
30_________FORECLOSURE ON A MORTGAGE OR LOAN
29_________MAJOR CHANGES IN RESPONSIBILITIES AT WORK (PROMOTION, DEMOTION, LATERAL TRANSFER)
29_________SON OR DAUGHTER LEAVING HOME (MARRIAGE, ATTENDING COLLEGE, ETC.)
29_________IN-LAW TROUBLES
28_________OUTSTANDING PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT
26_________WIFE BEGINNING OR CEASING WORK OUTSIDE THE HOME, BEGINNING OR CEASING FORMAL SCHOOL

25_________MAJOR CHANGE IN LIVING CONDITIONS (BUILDING A NEW HOME, REMODELING, DETERIORATION OF HOME OR NEIGHBORHOOD)
24_________REVISION OF PERSONAL HABITS (DRESS, MANNERS, ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.)
23_________TROUBLES AT WORK (BOSS OR CO-WORKERS)
20_________MAJOR CHANGES IN WORKING HOURS OR CONDITIONS 20_________CHANGE IN RESIDENCE
19_________CHANGING TO A NEW SCHOOL
19_________MAJOR CHANGE IN USUAL TYPE AND/OR AMOUNT OF RECREATION
19_________MAJOR CHANGE IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES (LOT MORE OR A LOT LESS THAN USUAL)

18_________MAJOR CHANGE OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES (CLUBS, DANCES, MOVIES, VISITORS, ETC.)
17_________TAKING ON A MORTAGE OR LOAN LESS THAN $10,000 (PURCHASING A CAR, TV, FREEZER, ETC.)
16_________MAJOR CHANGES IN SLEEPING HABITS (LOT MORE OR LOT LESS, OR CHANGE IN PART OF DAY WHEN ASLEEP)
15_________MAJOR CHANGE IN NUMBER OF FAMILY GET-TOGETHERS (LOT MORE OR LESS THAN USUAL)
15_________MAJOR CHANGES IN EATING HABITS (LOT MORE OR A LOT LESS FOOD INTAKE, OR VERY DIFFERENT MEAL HOURS OR SURROUNDINGS)
13_________VACATIONS
12_________CHRISTMAS
11_________MINOR VIOLATION OF THE LAW (TAFFIC TICKETS, DISTURBING THE PEACE)

__________TOTAL SCORE

Stress and Illness
The key variable between stress and possible illness is how effectively you are able to handle stressful experiences and your ability to exercise and decrease you internal stressors.

Statistically, 40% to 50% of people who score above 300 may become ill within the year, due to their immune system shutting down. Only 5% to 10 % of people who score below 200 experience such problems or illness." [Building Blocks, 2007]

So we see that stress can be determined, measured, and if one takes the time to learn some simple exercises, stress can be decreased in your life. In the fourth of this ongoing series we will look at what makes people choose complicated stress relief, instead of simple stress relief, and ways for you to determine what works for you when it comes to stress relief - until then, have a less stressful day.