STRESS - Manage yours better, TODAY

STRESS - Manage yours better, TODAY

VIDEO 1 - Stress - Reduce it and deal with it better

VIDEO 2 - Blood circulation and stress - clarifications and tips with angiologist Dr. Ana Paula Rodrigues

You are perfectly capable of dealing with stress, but it is NOT possible (nor desirable) to eliminate it, okay? Let's be clear right from the start: STRESS is, by definition, any reaction your body has, physical or mental, aimed at reacting to something that has thrown it off balance (physically, mentally/emotionally or spiritually) and, in the vast majority of cases, recovering this lost balance (homeostasis); and even positive situations can generate stress: Walking, for example, generates an imbalance with each step and you have to rely on the body's rebalancing so that you don't fall and the next step is prepared; another example is when we receive very good news: at that moment a pleasant imbalance is generated which, if not compensated for, could even lead to health problems. In other words, every human being is being “attacked”, unbalanced, at every moment and needs countless stress reactions to recover and even adapt and transform in order to become stronger against new aggressions; we were only made to develop short-term stresses, effectively and quickly resolving their causes, and not to remain under stress for a long time: In these cases, excessive stress leads to wear and tear on the body, hyper-consumption of nutrients, fuels and reserves, excessive energy expenditure as a result of the imbalance caused and, if it persists, it can lead not only to psychological illnesses such as anxiety and depression, but also to various physical illnesses, especially those of an endocrinological and immunological nature.

But stress can (and MUST) be better managed: after all, external stimuli (or our own thoughts, when they act by simulating or recalling external stimuli) will always exist, but the way we react to them, the stress they generate, are always internal, our own, individual processes, which we can modulate, control and even often manage in such a way that they are not uncomfortable and even become more productive for the whole of our human experience: this is not just theory or blah-blah-blah.

In essence, when it comes to STRESS, keep 3 main points in mind:

Since stress is unavoidable and various forms of it will (and need to) occur during your day, the key to managing it properly lies with YOU...

1️⃣ - Trying to generate less stress (at this point, organization and planning help A LOT, since disorganization and unforeseen events are major causes of stress - read “The Zero Habit" and understand/resolve this better: https://icaro.med.br/habitozero),

2️⃣ - Dealing with it better and

3️⃣ - Avoid mulling it over and over again, taking regular “breaks” in your day-to-day life to relax, change focus and have leisure time: avoid the “resonance effect” on your stress as much as possible or it will literally destroy you! Understand it here: https://www.sofisica.com.br/conteudos/Ondulatoria/Ondas/ressonancia.php - It's because of this effect that troops can't cross bridges by marching: the emission of waves with the same frequency, by the highly paced/rhythmic strides, repeatedly causes the force of each stride to practically add up to the previous one, which over time can generate enough force to damage and even potentially destroy the bridge!

In short, the issue involving “resonance” in psychological stress is this: the more you maintain the same “negative” thought pattern over and over again, the more it increases in strength and in its potential to cause effects, including physical ones, so that either you take “breaks” or the effects of the stress become more and more damaging.

COPING BETTER WITH STRESS

If you've checked out the links I've suggested above, you already know what stress is, where it can lead you if it's not dealt with properly, and you've obtained tips on how to manage it better; but there's more you can do, as I'll list from now on in this text - but don't worry about putting them all into practice straight away: The more of them you do, the less stressed you'll become in a comfortable, gradual way, in your own time... After all, if you have to stress yourself out worrying about putting all the “anti-stress tips” into practice in order to reduce your stress, the whole noble purpose of these strategies will have gone down the drain. Improve yourself at your own pace: just keep on improving yourself!

My favorite tips for you, however, are these; I say “favorite” because they are the ones I use most in my day-to-day life to keep my stress under control as much as possible:

✅ Healthier lifestyles are the basis of everything: those who have good habits feel and become better and better and more capable of facing and overcoming any obstacles in life, as they acquire more potential and strength in body, mind and spirit - go here to find out: https://icaro.med.br/sao-prioridades-sucesso-felicidade-vida/

✅ CHANGE FOCUS: of course we have to solve problems, the main causes of imbalances that generate stress. But remember the resonance effect we discussed above: changing the pattern of thought/behavior regularly, the “subject”, even intentionally (even when the brain insists on thinking about something) is fundamental to cooling the head and subsequently thinking and acting more clearly again; below are some effective alternatives for this which, as I've already said, you often have to force yourself to carry out in order to break a potentially damaging pattern of thought/behavior:

✅ Take a deep breath: do this several times - it gives you more time to think and reflect better on what to do, improves brain function (“clears up” ideas) and helps you calm down, since oxygen has a predominantly calming effect on the brain. Understand that controlling your breathing is a great ally in managing stress.

✅ Pray: Believe me, a good relationship with God always helps and brings more calm, serenity, happiness and the potential to solve problems better.

✅ Laugh: watch a good movie or video... For example, Youtube and Vimeo are full of free content that will serve this purpose well: laughing helps to release countless substances that bring well-being and even improve your breathing.

✅ Listening to good music: be concerned not only with melodies, but also with good lyrics - positive and/or cheerful and preferably uplifting content helps to improve the pattern of brain functioning and even motivate.

✅ Meditate: it's easier than you think and highly effective... Scientifically proven! Understand and see how to do it here: https://icaro.med.br/meditacao

✅ Move: sometimes stress manifests itself as that feeling that you have so much energy pent up that it's going to explode at any moment, isn't it? In these moments, it's best to get your energy out there, trying to do it in a way that is pleasurable, constructive, positive and/or at least not harmful to anyone: physical exercise can perfectly satisfy all these points and also brings cardiocirculatory, hormonal and immunological benefits, along with the productive discharge of energy - every pleasurable, non-harmful activity brings these benefits.

✅ Dancing: is able to help with the four points mentioned and also brings the benefits of physical activity.

✅ Leave cell phones and computers aside for a while: they constantly bring too much demand and information, as well as electromagnetic radiation that has been proven to worsen brain function - there are many current cases of stress caused or worsened by their excessive use.

✅ Getting in touch with nature: On a regular basis, we should all try to put our feet on the ground, bathe in running water, breathe really fresh air, stay in an environment where trees predominate, soak up the sun... Both to fulfill what was suggested in the previous topic and to recharge our batteries and discharge our energy, something that is necessary but that we do very little of - even a good shower can help a little in this regard.

✅ Helping others: when you give part of your time and energy to help someone who needs it, even from a distance (via the internet and social networks you can always give good advice, be a good listener, etc.) as well as momentarily “blurring” your own problems (thus breaking the negative resonance of thoughts), you receive the satisfaction of helping others and the exchange of positive energy from feelings of gratitude and Goodness.

✅ Find good company: the energy of someone who is doing well (or at least better than you), as well as their advice, ideas, conversation and presence pull you up; looking for people who are also in trouble or seemingly worse off than you doesn't help and can even pull you down even further.

✅ Avoid abuse or regular use of stimulants: the best natural stimulants are your good lifestyle habits - if your body asks for rest despite them, it's better to “obey” than to artificially speed it up and increase its wear and tear, which leads to stress.

✅ Spending energy on solving problems, not mulling them over: every problem requires 3 stages to be solved, which must be followed in this sequence: knowing the problem well, conceiving possible ways of solving it and investing time/energy in the chosen attempts at a solution. We tend to spend more energy mulling over the problem itself or in prolonged indecision about how to solve it, but neither of these solve it: they are merely steps to get to step 3, which is the only step that effectively solves problems when the previous two steps have been completed well.

✅ Don't let the other person's stress stress you out: Nowadays, in a matter of hours, you're forced into contact with a lot of stressed people and, if you don't keep a close eye on your own thoughts and attitudes, you can end up being influenced by them and increasing your own stress levels.

✅ Doing your part and believing in yourself

In essence: change your focus and look for sources of positive energy and occupy yourself as positively as possible! But if none of this resolves your stress, seek professional help: possibly a good psychologist will be important for you not only to resolve the current stress but also to learn how to better manage future stress - prevention and treatment with professional support.

Author Luana Anjos, in her good book “I Am The Power - Pathways to a Life of Love, Peace and Prosperity” (read the book - it's very worthwhile), gives you good tips on how to better manage your stress through the basics, better control of your THOUGHTS; tips such as (based on the book):

• Practice good thoughts
• Listen to good music to think of good things
• Pray daily: it uplifts the soul and clears the mind
• Have a good daily read
• Yoga, walking and sport in general.
• Be more aware of the beauty of nature and your surroundings
• Practice self-suggestion: I am strong, happy, talented, loved, etc.
• Decree good things about yourself and what you want, constantly.
• Imagine comforting and happy situations.
• Meditate
• Watch good romantic movies, science fiction, comedy and other genres that make us happy.
• Help those in need: in this way you help and are helped
• Listen to good words and good music
• Prefer activities that relax and calm you down
• Don't let yourself be influenced by negative people and situations or bitter words
• Avoid listening to and reading bad and catastrophic news
• Don't criticize or judge other people and avoid talking to people who behave in this way
• Believe deeply in love and forgiveness

UPDATE

As I write a lot on the subject, I'm always keeping up with material on the subject, so that I can constantly “mine” quality information for you. It was in this spirit that I came across Dr. Ken Nedd's excellent 14-page ebook, available for free download on the author's website. www.drnedd.com. The book is an ultra-fast read and, entitled “25 ways to stop stress now”, gives 25 tips that, in my opinion, are really useful for anyone who wants to manage their stress better. Check out these topics, which are better developed in the author's book and on his website (where I recommend you read them carefully to get a deeper understanding of the topic and each tip below, for those really interested in solving problems) - I've only translated what I thought was most important about each of them:

1 - YOU are the master of your emotionsAnd your emotions change the chemistry of your body. Concrete situations exist, but HOW we feel about them is OUR responsibility. One of the most important keys to coping with stress is to learn (yes, it is possible) to generate feelings of happiness, especially during difficult times.

2 - Stress is your answerStress is not the problem itself: it's YOUR response to it and you may well develop better ways of reacting to problems.

3 - CirculationWhen you're stressed, you feel cold extremities because the circulation has gone bad: breathe properly and move around to restore good circulation and even your brain will thank you.

4 - Self-esteem: Improve yours as a fundamental step towards coping better with stress.

5 - Presence is powerfulIf you're stressed, take your mind off your own feelings and help someone else, which doesn't always require words: often just your presence, your company, is enough.

6 - Happiness: the key to longevity: Become a happier person and don't let your happiness be extinguished by problems - this is one of the fundamental steps to longevity.

7 - Differential relaxationRelax the muscles you are not using at any given time, so as not to generate unnecessary tension.

8 - Choose happiness: Try to act and react with more positive thoughts, attitudes and behaviors.

9 - Don't fightUnless it's really necessary, run away from conflicts: you always waste energy and come out weaker.

10 - Five tips for great achievements

• Fill your heart with good emotions
• Better manage where you invest your energy
• Associate yourself with “winners”: follow them and seek out the secrets of their victories
• Value your time
• Write down your objectives, so that you have them clearer in front of you (where you want to go)

11 - I am responsible: You may not be the “guilty” party for what happens to you, but take responsibility and move on: guilt never leads anywhere productive.

12 - Face your fear: Identify your fears and tackle and resolve their causes.

13 - Renew yourself: We need to grow and change/evolve continuously.

14 - Set and achieve goalsSpend time and energy on what is relevant to this and try to ignore what isn't, even if it's tempting.

15 - Lose weight: Don't keep bad, fattening foods in the house or within easy reach.

16 - Have you forgiven? Forgiveness is not about the other person: it's about you. When you don't forgive, you develop psychological and physical symptoms.

17 - Consciousness: Pay attention not only to what's outside you, but also to what's going on inside you: listen to yourself, understand yourself, get to know yourself.

18 - Three ways to combat the three ingredients of stress

• Deal with difficult people with patience and “sportsmanship”
• In the face of difficulty, say: “I can handle it” and regain your body's balance, understanding that “everything passes and nothing will cloud the skies forever.”

19 - Dream big: And write down your dreams and goals to keep them as clear as possible.

20 - Ego: Control your ego or it will control (and stress) you.

21 - Repair the gaps: Repair relationships that are important to you and that aren't going well, even if you have to take the initiative.

22 - Questions to ask yourself: Regularly ask yourself key questions that allow you to evaluate your objectives, your progress, how involved you really are in achieving them and what you need to correct in order to get more results.

23 - The power of silence: Invest time in being silent every day: it is in silence that “great things” are planned.

24 - The cell membrane: As the membrane “filters out” what shouldn't enter the cell, filter out what could be harmful to your health and happiness.

25 - Accept your greatness: Understand that you are a great creation of God, that you are unique, that you are capable of dealing with whatever life throws at you and for all this you deserve respect and consideration; and that everyone else around you is in the same situation and should be considered and respected by you - so you tend to get what you give.

Put all this into practice, in time, at your own pace: invest time and energy in YOU and manage your stress and your life better!