Think stress doesn’t have an impact on your body, your memory, and your outlook on life?
Check out these statistics:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60% to 70% of all disease and illness is stress-related.
- An estimated 75% to 90% of visits to physicians are stress related.
- According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 60% of women surveyed said work stress was their biggest problem.
- Job pressures cause more health complaints than any other stressor, says the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Resisting Change: The Allure of the Status Quo
I can guess what you’re thinking… here’s one more thing I have to worry about. Let me tell you straight away that when you invest in the program I’m about to share with you, your whole life will improve.
Some helpful information about stress
You can’t – nor do you ever want to – eliminate stress altogether. Some stress is beneficial. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that stress by itself is never actually harmful or bad. It’s your reaction to stress that creates problems.
We’re simply trained to ignore the signs of stress in an attempt to keep the problems at bay. No wonder: changing life-long behaviors is in itself stressful.
This is a classic mind-body disconnect.
The Three Phases of Stress
As you know, just being in business today creates stress. Here’s how most people react to a stressor (such as: earnings announcement, problem at home, manufacturing flaw, countless and mind-numbing meetings):
- First, in what is called the “Alarm Phase”, they react to the stressor. This might result in a burst of anger, shock, or surprise.
- Second, they move into the “Resistance Phase,” when they begin to adapt to the stressor. They learn to cope with the dysfunction, lack of sleep, or 16-hour work days. This phase can last for years, and after awhile will feel very “normal.”
- Third, the body finally loses steam. They go into the “Exhaustion Phase,” where their ability to resist is reduced. They’ll feel tired, unable to concentrate, and will often catch colds or become ill – the body’s way of slowing them down.
I know from experience that there are many ways to more effectively handle the everyday stressors, as well as those big once-in-awhile stressors. I’ve taught meditation, mindfulness training, breathing exercises, and disseminated countless bits of information on general nutrition and the benefits of regular exercise.
But, I can’t be there with you to keep you going when all bedlam breaks loose at the office. And, in times of trouble, the first thing to go – always – is personal care. I don’t care if you’re the CEO or the Janitor. When stressors hit, self-care is the first thing to go.
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