Stress Relief and Stress Management

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"  Answers called out ranged from 8 ounces to 24 ounces.  The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.  It depends on how long you try to hold it.  If you hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.  If you hold it for an hour, you'll have an ache in your arm.  If you hold it for a day, a friend will have to call an ambulance.  In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer you hold it, the heavier it becomes."  He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress.  If we carry our stresses all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." "As with the glass of water, to manage stress, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we're refreshed, we can carry on with your life and the the burden will be more manageable." 

Stress is like an unwelcome houseguest that shows up on your doorstep when you least expect it.  It takes up all your time and energy and wants you to entertain it --- as if you don't have enough other things to do!  It keeps you up at night, wakes you early in the morning, and drives you crazy.  And, then it doesn't have the decency to know when to leave!   -Author unkown.

In light of this information, why not take a short time to just simply RELAX?  Put down any stress that may be a burden to you right now.  Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.  Your health, well-being and outlook on life will improve dramatically IF you will just decide to take care of yourself.  There are several excellent methods available for stress relief that range from breathing exercises to meditation.  The problem always becomes having the discipline to focus for a significant amount of time in a place of solitude without interruption. 

An excellent source for stress relief and long-term stress management that is often overlooked is a massage therapist.  You can relax passively while the massage therapist provides the stimulus and environment for you to completely unwind.   Whether your stress is created by your job, your boss, self-induced from trying to be perfect, or just life’s events cascading over you, a qualified massage therapist can help you put down your burden of stress.  Regardless of whether it is a 20-minute chair massage or a mini-vacation for an hour or two, a massage will do wonders to lower your stress level and improve your mental outlook and your sense of well-being.  Then, you will feel energized and more like continuing on after your burden of stress has been taken away.