How Does Stress Affect Health?

How does stress affect health..." Let's look at our topic from the perspective of language - this sentence leads you to the belief that stress affects your health!

Most would not read the question and immediately say "Stress doesn't affect my health!" and move on.

We've heard it for decades now: stress is bad for your health. Of course, there's good stress that comes from exercising, if you consider stress as an engineering term meaning "pressure exerted upon an object".

Frankly I often do well when a little pressure is applied to me - I get good work done, push a little harder to achieve. But, in general, in western terms, we consider stress as a detractor to good health.

We want to know more - how, why, what kinds of stress? You may imagine your own current life challenges and identify these as stress.

If you'd like to do something about stress management in your life, I'd like you to consider two ideas:

1- Stress as an outside force isn't real.

2- The answer to the question, "How does stress affect health" is... "It doesn't."

What is Stress?

Stress, first and foremost, is a reaction. But you're not reacting to something outside of yourself. How does stress affect health? Always remember that you can choose your reactions to any situation! Stress, anxiety, depression... these are reactions made by you that you can control.

(If I've opened a can of worms for you with these statements feel free to contact me . These are beliefs that I hold and use in my daily life - which works very well!)

Just because the dog ran off, or there were too many bills in the mail box or the bathroom scale gave you a number you didn't like, or a co-worker hurt your feelings with an insensitive remark doesn't mean that you have to have an automatic response that is negative to you!

Stress Causes

Our medical system has truly accomplished miracles. Diseases that used to be death sentences are now routinely cured or at least abated with amazing procedures. The allopathic system can reconnect tissue and bone and nerve, can diagnose disease with amazing accuracy and success.

The main strength of allopathic medicine though, is for acute care or in concert with alternative medicine that deals with the mind. It is in the mind that we can find the solution to stress.

Most allopathic doctors understand the connection between stress management and relaxation. Therefore, stress has a mind component (much bigger than may be scientifically realized)! Take the mind to a new place and watch the stress and tension fade. Notice how big the vacation and travel industry is?

Change the Mind, Change the Body Chemistry

As I stated earlier, stress is a reaction, not a state of being. Use the tools available to put your thinking on a different plane.

Here's what I do: as soon as I notice that I'm off balance, I get to work on my mind. I have a little list of thoughts I prefer to have. My reaction to anxiety is much different than my reaction to getting a massage, sitting on a warm beach, or reading a book with my dog by the fire.

The subconscious mind cannot differentiate physical experience from mental experience. So tell it you've gone to the beach! You don't get brownie points for worrying - not here on earth, not from God, not anywhere.

The answer to the question, "How does stress affect health" is... "It doesn't." Your mind affects your health. Ultimately, you decide how that story goes.


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