Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical ‘glass half empty or glass half full’ question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, ‘How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?’
Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds.
She replied, ‘From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.’
As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, ‘Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.’
Learning: Learn to set the glass down!
Stress is one of those terms that mean so many things to different people. It mostly occurs when pressure exceeds your ability to cope with a problem in a given time and place. Of course, if you do not think that the problem is important or threatening, then even if you do not successfully deal with it, you are unlikely to be stressed.
The words ‘positive’ and ‘stress’ may not often go together. We all experience stress in our lives, and it’s actually been found that some stress in your lifestyle is good for you. Not all types of stress are harmful or even negative. The problem with stress is, when it becomes excessive, and when you don’t allow yourself the opportunity to recover from stressful episodes.
Stress is, perhaps, necessary to occasionally clear cobwebs from our thinking. If approached positively, stress can help us evolve as a person by letting go of unwanted thoughts and principles in our life. Don’t try to be something that you are not.
Stress is the pressure of having too much to handle. The body’s reaction to stress is the “fight-or-flight” response. It helped early humans fight or flee from an enemy. In fact, our bodies still react to stress in the same way. If this happens often, it can lead to unwanted symptoms.
If you get wound up yourself, stop. Get out. Use any excuse to go somewhere and calm down. It’s time to take that vacation!
Think about the last time you did something you loved; stress was the furthest thing from your mind. Maybe, it was playing a sport where, though you were pressed mentally and physically, you enjoyed every moment. When we are doing something that we love, our capacity to endure stress increases and is balanced by the pleasures we experience.