Is stress destroying your body?

Stress affects your mind and your body. We are all

victims of stress.
No matter how rich or how poor, problems arise of
which we feel we have little or no control. We have
to accept what occurs.

Sometimes that is so difficult that we suffer great

emotional and physical complications. Why do
some people react well with an incident while oth-
ers feel it is nearly the end of the world for them?

Do you remember the movie "Whose Life is it Anyway? Richard Dryfuss played a quadri-
plegic who wanted the right to die. On the other hand, do you remember the movie "Joni",
an inspiring autobiographical movie starring Joni Eareckson as herself? The movie shows
how she overcame her depression of being paralyzed and learned how to live a happy and
productive life with her condition. Today, Joni Eareckson Todd has overcome two bouts of
cancer and survived COVID-19. She still serve God and lives a generally happy and produc-
tive life.

The two movies portray two different people with similar circumstances, and, obviously,
two totally different attitudes.

Can we help you overcome anything and become like Joni? We are not promising
you that, but we want to make you realize how stress affects you and encourage you to
learn to handle it.

Stress can cause you to grind your teeth. That I know. My dentist put some sort
of hardening paste on my teeth to prevent increasing the "ridge" I created from clacking
my teeth together. It seems to be a habit that is hard to break. However, when I am re-
minded that I could break my teeth, I temporarily stop. Now I also wear a mouth guard
when I can.

It helps to remind me to quit that awful habit that could ruin my teeth. I do have to put up
with an uncomfortable feeling and taking it out often to talk. Again, I say, "It's worth it!" On
the contrasting side, many people have their grinding problems at night. A simple mouth
guard may alleviate that problem. (Note: Check with your dentist for a solution.)
One of the most commonly-known effects of stress is loss of memory. Ordinary tasks may
not be performed as well. A common problem is doing simple math equations. "I can't think
now" is a common statement made by people under stress.
Overall job performance declines following a stressful situation. Poor job performance may
cause dismissal, and thus more stress.
Money may not be the answer to happiness, but lack of it causes unhappiness and stress.
We need to cope with what we have, not focus on what we want. We need to concentrate
on the blessings of having air, food, water, and life. Have you ever lost everything or at least
nearly everything? Do you know anyone who has? Starting all over could be hard, but it
should be observed as challenging. You know the saying that "You can't take it with you".
So, be thankful for what you have and don't get stressed out over lack of more material
things. Easier said than done? Work on it.
Stress -- on the positive side
Can you think of an athlete or team that is known for coming from behind to win? Oh,
there have been so many great comebacks in professional and amateur sports.
Also, some people work better after procrastinating until the last moments. So, can stress
be helpful? Maybe at times it can benefit your production, but I am not certain it benefits
your body and mind.
Meditation
The actual meaning of meditation varies. The main themes revolve around being calm or
relaxed. Various methods are taught in varying degrees from very simple breathing exercis-
es to more complex yoga practices. Since this movement is consistently increasing in popu-
larity around the world, this may be something you need to delve into. We have articles
that pertain to meditation.
Avoidance
Avoiding known stressful situations can help. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure".
Note: Do not let this become too much of a habit. It may be all right to go the long way to
avoid that bully down the street, but don't let this divert you from everything. You may
need to learn to deal with stressful occurrences, rather than avoid them.
Practice, practice, practice. Start by telling yourself that the other person is not worth wor-
rying about and quickly forget the insults he gives
People will tell you to ignore him and he will stop. However, I do not think that works in
many cases. The bullying and insulting will continue even if you ignore him. He is awaiting
for your negative response. If you don't have the patience to outwait and outwit him, per-
haps you had better find a big buddy to travel with you, or ....avoid him.
Resistance
Resisting bad habits such as over-eating can be a great way to eliminate weight gain which
adds to your stress. Find a substitute to resist the urges to eat, especially to eat the wrong
kinds of foods.

You might try a short exercise routine, watch a good half-hour television show, or call
a friend.

Important Stress Factors to Consider:

1. Attitude
It is not what happened to you today. It's what you think about it and how you react to it.

Will it matter ten years from now? Five years from now? One year from now? One month
from now? If it will not be a major problem for you in the future, try to let it go NOW. It's is
not worth minimizing your longevity.

If the problem is a major problem now and/or may be a serious problem in the future, you
must learn to cope with it. Surely others have gone through the same thing, or at least
something similar.

2. Prevention
Are you always in a hurry? Is that rush partly because you did not prepare before what you
need in the morning? Try being more organized and get ready faster and easier.

3. Control
You must get control of your stress factors. After all, since you know that stress causes a lot
of physical complications for your body, you know those complications can cause more
enormous stress.

If you want to live a longer, happier life, you must get control.