Taking Control of Your Life
The Hidden Advantages of Inner Calm
Do you find yourself getting stressed on a regular basis? Perhaps it’s something you experience every day. Perhaps you’re also aware that your daily dose of stress is affecting the quality of your sleep. You might have recognised that your regular bouts of anxiety impact on your digestion, your immune system, your energy and your ability to think clearly and efficiently. In other words, stress is having an adverse effect on every aspect of your life. We know that stress is bad for us. So why do we continue to experience it?
There are plenty of articles and videos on social media warning us about the dangers of constant stress but the fact is that more and more people today are suffering from the pressures and anxieties of modern life. Is this the price we have to pay for enjoying the wonders of our technologically advanced society? Is stress somehow an inevitable part of the way we live? The short answer is – No.
Be the Warrior - Not the Worrier
― Angela Cerberano
There really are better ways to live, to flourish, to prosper and to enjoy life on an entirely new level of health, wellbeing and success.
Stress – or perhaps, more accurately, the way we experience stress – is largely a product of our habits. We know that the stress response developed as a series of automatic reactions that would enhance our chances of surviving a dangerous or harmful situation. In this respect, the stress response makes perfect sense. Survival – good. Being eaten by a hungry predator – not good.
We know that this extreme set of chemical reactions was intended to help us escape or face a serious threat. Unfortunately, our imaginations have taken over from our instinctive reactions and led us to live as if our very existence were in danger - all of the time. The problem is so widespread today that many people can’t relax even when they’re asleep. No wonder that we’re witnessing an alarming increase in depression, burn-out, breakdown and a growing sense that we’re no longer in control of our lives. It’s clearly time to consider a much healthier way of living.
He who is of calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition youth and age are equally a burden.
― Plato
The consequences of long-term stress for our health are well known. We increase the likelihood of a wide range of diseases, illnesses and imbalances. But, there’s another consequence that most of us are unaware of and it’s a result of the way our brains are wired. The stress response is associated with the brain’s limbic system though recent research has identified a further and surprising connection with osteocalcin, a hormone that is produced within our bones and a substance that can play a role in influencing our body’s ability to control stress levels.
According to neuroscientific research, the limbic system is chemically connected to the pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain that is associated with rational thought, planning, goal-setting, visualisation and problem-solving. When the limbic system predominates, our ability to think clearly and logically is significantly degraded. Think about that for a moment. When you’re stressed and feeling anxious about your circumstances, when you’re under pressure and needing to find answers to your problems, the part of your brain that’s absolutely essential for working out how to resolve your challenges is effectively placed in suspended animation.
Live a good life. More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.
― Roy Bennett
Long-term stress has even been linked to reductions in IQ levels.
Some researchers suggest that IQ can be lowered by as much as 13% as a result of prolonged exposure to stress and anxiety.
This is the hidden cost of living in a world that is dominated by stress, tension, fear and disquiet. We become significantly less efficient. We lose much of our effectiveness. We sacrifice our ability to think clearly. Our minds become clouded by the shadows of fear, doubt and anxiety.
But, if our stress is largely a result of the mental and emotional habits we’ve developed since early childhood, we are all also capable of changing these behaviours and adopting a much healthier and more productive way of responding to life’s daily challenges.
Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
― Chinese proverb
The answer is to learn to relax, to breathe more deeply and more calmly. To unclench the jaw muscles and relax the shoulders. To initiate the ancient, hardwired remedies that evolved at the same point in our ancient history that witnessed the development of the all-too familiar stress responses. Releasing the shoulders and breathing more slowly and deeply will help you to restore your thoughts and feelings to a state of calm. As the stress response subsides, your higher brain function will assume a more prominent role and you’ll soon be thinking more clearly and creatively.
Once you appreciate the damaging effects of your constant levels of stress, you’ll want to regain control of your thinking processes and turn up your natural ability to solve problems calmly and efficiently. This is the way we prospered as a species. This is how we will solve today’s challenges. This is how we’ll resolve future difficulties too.
Set aside a few minutes right now to calm your thoughts and feelings. Dedicate a little time every day to meditation and gain greater control over the way you react to the world around you. Stress is largely a habit. Learn to turn it down and discover an extraordinarily powerful way to live your life to the full.
Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them.
You will find they haven’t half the strength you have.
― Norman Vincent Peale
Are you ready for a completely fresh approach to life’s great adventure? Get in touch with us today for a free session to discover how the growing global movement for personal growth, success, change and empowerment can enhance your life. It’s fun and it’s surprisingly effective. Perhaps it’s time for you to discover how you can enjoy your life on a whole new level of happiness and wellbeing.
Greg Parry created The Wellness Foundation and the Cognitive Empowerment Programs specifically to help people master their stress, overcome their limitations and explore the power of their true potential.
If you enjoy these blogs, you can imagine how much fun it is to have Greg in the room as an inspirational and highly perceptive speaker. If you’d like to invite Greg to talk to your company or organisation or event, feel free to get in touch.
You can contact Greg and explore our websites at:
STOP PRESS…!
It’s here! Super You by Greg Parry
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