Stress is a part of life. You can’t learn a new task or enter a new situation without feeling stress. It illuminates problem areas of your life – and you ignore such areas at your own peril. If you’re trying to live an intentional, actualized life, you’ll inevitably feel stress, which can then become an obstacle to fulfilling your potential. “When a company promotes work-life balance for its employees, it benefits the employees, their families, and that all-important bottom line.”
Toxic emotions such as fear, anger and hatred also generate stress. Anger and hatred create the illusion of separation from others. Fear is the base of all other negative emotions. It saps your energy and contributes to numerous ailments. Chronic fear agitates your mind and provokes defensiveness. To alleviate fear, increase your awareness of it. List your fears. Decide to deal with them one by one. “When the benchmarks for happiness are wealth, power, status or beauty, you can live constantly in a state of bondage.”
In response to stress, your body produces adrenaline and cortisol, hormones that provoke a fight or- flight reaction. When the perceived threat goes away, your adrenaline levels drop, but your cortisol levels stay high for long periods. Chronic stress places a long-term load on your system that can lead to illness or even death.
Because stress is so physically and mentally destructive, you should confront and deal with it. For example, worry, which creates stress, is nothing more than a bad habit. When you catch yourself worrying, stop and say an affirmation such as, “I am so grateful for my life.”