To breathe well is a life-giving force to beat one of health’s invisible enemies – STRESS! Everyday, you face a number of stressors that don’t seem like a big deal, until they build up into larger, hard to ignore issues that ultimately affects your health.
The Healing Self by New York Times Bestselling Authors, Deepak Chopra, MD and Rudolph Tanzi, PhD. is a powerful read naming stress as an invisible enemy. It focuses on the merging of mind and body as one and consciously living from a whole-systems approach to heal oneself.
Stress as the Invisible Enemy in Plain Sight
In the book, I learned that even small frustrations can affect us on a cellular level eventually leading to physical manifestations when the body can’t adapt to stress. Some may experience digestive issues or headaches or being excessively tired. It can even trigger inflammation with worst case scenario leading to a systems breakdown where a person might experience a stroke or a heart attack.
Flashback a few years ago, the negative impact of stress was something I experienced unknowingly. It was when I leaped in faith to start a coaching practice and stepped outside of my comfort zone. I was out of balance with a lot of unnecessary pressure I placed on myself. In hindsight, the stress created disruptions in my body which resulted into unusual and disturbing physical sensations.
For a few months, I went through several testing – physical and neurological, however without a diagnosis. Nothing in my test results pointed to anything alarming. This was the catalyst to include meditation into my morning routine which I found grounding. I also learned mindful strategies to pay closer attention to my emotions and practiced more self-compassion. With much humility, I leaned into my Christian faith and spent a lot of time praying. Gratefully, the sensations subsided with time. It took about a year when I began to feel normal again.
What you can “do” and “undo” for Stress Reduction
The second part of The Healing Self is a 7-day action plan with each day focused on one theme. For stress reduction, here are a few things to consider to DO and UNDO.
DO –
- Meditate
- Mindful Breathing
- Yoga Practice
UNDO –
-
Stop ignoring stressful events
-
Don’t add to a stressful situation
-
Turn irregular habits into a regular routine
The trick is choosing ONLY ONE action. Continue to do the same action until it becomes a part of your routine and you no longer have to decide if this is something you should do or not. It has become HABITUAL.
What helps you to cope with stress in a healthy way?
To echo Deborah, this IS a stressful time for everyone. Some are handling it well, others not. It’s a very personal experience, and it’s hard to know what is right or wrong. I’m just trying to be respectful that everyone is going to have different life experiences that will impact their perception. I’ve been doing daily gratitude journaling (for Lent), and that has been an effective way to keep me focused on the good that is coming out of this situation.
I agree – it is very stressful. Every one of us are going through it in a different way. I’ve been leaning on gratitude, prayer, and breathing during this time.
This is a time where we are all experiencing so much more stress. You are right, it is also an opportunity to make some changes in a positive way