IS STRESS GOOD OR BAD?
There are good stresses and bad stresses in our lives. People think that stress is just bad, but that’s not the case.
If we work hard at our job, and the day gets to be quite busy, stress levels can rise. But that stress, depending on how we handle it, can invigorate us.
Some people like to be busy and multitask. They live off the adrenaline pumping through their veins.
Pregnant women go through body stress to have a baby. That kind of stress is good stress because you’re making a human.
But then there are stresses in our lives that are not good for us. Traumatic events can happen that trigger the fight or flight response, causing stress.
If we don’t have an outlet for that stress, we will internalize everything and it can damage vital organs.
Depending on your personality type, you may handle stress differently than the next person. I know for myself; I can handle a lot of stress because I’m a talker. My outlet is communicating my problems to those I love. And that, in turn, helps me process it better.
If you’re someone who is shy and quiet, internalizing everything, stress may affect you worse than others if you don’t have an outlet for it in some way.
The importance of being able to handle stress is just as important as living, or not living, stress-free. What stresses me may not stress you. So if I cut down the things that cause me stress, it might not be enough for you.
An example of that would be customer service. I can handle a customer yelling at me on the phone quite easily because I’ve done it for 10 years. But that young person who has never experienced it before, might have a nervous breakdown after dealing with such a customer.
If I were to cut down the number of calls I’m taking a day, it will eliminate the high stress, for me. It may not be enough for someone else. Just one nasty call could make or break a person if they are sensitive.
The commonality here is that we all handle stress differently and need to respect that difference. Everything should be evaluated on an individual basis.
HOW TO REDUCE STRESS
The way I reduce stress is by living an intermittent fasting lifestyle. I have found that I can handle stress better in a fasted state.
The organs function better in a fasted state, and that means your blood pressure, your heart, your blood sugar. It means your brain functions better and can handle things easier when you don’t have to focus on digestion.
It may be an odd way to reduce stress, but it has worked for me for many years now.
USING STRESS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
When stress happens in your life, you can choose to be negative about it, or you can choose to be positive. That will determine how you deal with stress.
If my work becomes so busy because of a sudden rush of customers, I can either complain about it, or, I can use it to my advantage. I can decide to have a positive attitude, wear a smile, and treat everyone with respect.
When I do that, I find that I can take care of a long lineup of people without getting tired or frustrated.
However, if I approach that lineup with a negative attitude, grumbling under my breath, hating what I do, I will find it more difficult to get through the day.
I would become tired quicker. My heart would race. My muscles would tense, and I would get a headache.
I use my work situation as an example because this has happened to me. If I work on my attitude when I’m stressed, the outcome will be a whole lot different. We can actually use stress to our advantage and become a better person.
LIVING WITH STRESS
Sometimes, no matter what we do, we have to live with some sort of stress. Living conditions can often cause high-stress situations that affect our health in a negative way.
A person may be stuck in a bad situation, or live a life of poverty. These things, despite our efforts, unfortunately, don’t change for some people.
As sad as it is, finding a way to cope without stress, is imperative. Every fibre of your being depends upon how you deal with the stress that comes your way.
I believe, as I mentioned before, that attitude will determine your well-being when it comes to living with stress.
Being positive is a must!
If you’re in a bad situation you can’t get out of, you might need to seek outside help. If you’re living in poverty, being positive will give you confidence and self-esteem to know that you do have opportunities to get out of your situation.
If your stress level is caused from day-to-day stresses like child-rearing or taking care of someone who is handicapped or elderly, there are many ways to seek help like hiring a caregiver and setting up respite care.
Sometimes living with stress means ensuring that you have a proper support system in place. With a support system, comes much-needed breaks. If you do that, stress is less likely to overtake you.
Diet and exercise are key when living with stress. Sometimes all it takes is a good brisk walk to clear your head and relieve yourself from the stress that has been building up.
For me, walking is my favorite thing to do. It relieves my stress and clears my head so that I can reset myself. When I do that, I’m better able to handle the problems that come my way. I can then focus on being positive instead of negative.
I also want to add intermittent fasting into the regime. If you’ve never tried intermittent fasting for stress relief, I highly recommend it. It helps me calm down and deal with the stress in my life, much more than any other tool in my toolbox.
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For further information, go to the Hungry Old Lady Youtube channel by clicking on the video at the end. I hope you enjoyed this article and consider living an intermittent fasting lifestyle.
