Stress Management
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A teacher walked around the room while leading a group and explaining stress management to her class with a raised glass of water in her hand. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, "Is the glass half full or half empty?" However, she fooled them all...."How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied with a smile, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold the glass for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance for me! In each case, the glass weighs the same, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "That's the way it works with stress, too. If we carry our burdens 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, you have to put it down for a while and rest. When we are refreshed, we can carry on again with the burden - deal with the stress in our lives, perhaps longer and better each time.
So, at some point in each day, put down your burdens. Don't carry them through each day and into each evening...place them aside for a time. Go for a walk, practice mindfulness, have a massage, take a yoga class, stretch and breathe deeply. And when you return to your regular activity, you will be better able to handle your stress, instead of letting your stress handle you.
For information on the signs of stress and how to relieve stress click here.
She replied with a smile, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold the glass for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance for me! In each case, the glass weighs the same, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "That's the way it works with stress, too. If we carry our burdens 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, you have to put it down for a while and rest. When we are refreshed, we can carry on again with the burden - deal with the stress in our lives, perhaps longer and better each time.
So, at some point in each day, put down your burdens. Don't carry them through each day and into each evening...place them aside for a time. Go for a walk, practice mindfulness, have a massage, take a yoga class, stretch and breathe deeply. And when you return to your regular activity, you will be better able to handle your stress, instead of letting your stress handle you.
For information on the signs of stress and how to relieve stress click here.