Stress and all of his friends

A couple of weeks back I was sitting on my sofa and thought about all the things I should get done. My hands were shaking. At night it was hard to fall asleep. I was undergoing stress.

Me - stressed out? But I´m the most chilled person I know!

It turns out that I was also a "victim" of the performance oriented society that we live in. I was worried about not keeping up the pace and falling behind. What was I worried about in fact? Would something bad happen if I didn´t leave a paper in time, if I didn´t go to the gym or if I didn´t prepare so well for a presentation? Even if something negative would result, is it worth getting worried sick?

Stress is indeed a sickness. Nonetheless, it´s not uncommon to hear stories about stress from friends and acquaintances. About personal experiences. Headaches and insomnia. Hair loss and appetite loss. I think stress is very very harmful if it continues for longer time. I experienced stress only for three days. After getting better I wondered why I was ever so stressed out. It´s just not worth it. If there are too many things to do you can always ignore the less important ones.

Once again, I realize the importance of slowing down life in general and taking time for listening to yourself and just being. Meditation is great but unfortunately I don´t do it very often. Instead, yoga or stretching can be as good. Anything that makes you relax and appreciate the present. As that feeling you get while e.g. meditating remains. It brings peace of mind. 

Stress and its physical symptoms illustrate well the connection between body and mind. Optimal health means both physical and mental well-being. Even more important is the mental one because everything we do happens first in our mind. That´s where everything sprouts from. The mind can make us exceed our physical abilities (not other way around) and that alone is pretty amazing.

I´m expanding on the topic so I leave it here...

Peace.