Stress in general is mainly due to events happening against our will or events having ambiguous/unknown outcomes or events being void of meaning to us.
Our mindset is critical in dealing with stress. Life happens and we sometimes have minimal control over it. If we are rigid on how life should happen, then we are constantly stressed by constantly fighting what is. Imagine daily stressful thoughts on how people should drive on highways or what good feelings we should experience daily.
The more we are comfortable with the unknown, the less we experience stress. We do not like the unknown, because we want to control things. Our mind's responsibility is to be busy all the time. Our mind does not consider our future growth. Some event that today scares us, may be totally manageable in a few months or years. Our mind does not consider our future growth potential.
If what we do has no meaning, then that task will cause us unnecessary stress. A meaningless meeting is a waste of time and source of ache and stress. However, a longer and yet meaningful meeting does not cause such stress.
Anything we do has some level of stress. If we avoid all stress, we are harming ourselves. Imagine procrastinating going for your physical checkup or dentist or not driving to work because driving is stressful.
When we are experiencing stress, we need to ask ourselves the following questions:
1- Am I fighting life?
2- Is unknown the source of my stress?
3- Does the source of my stress have meaning and value for me?
Copyright .2022 by Shervin Hojat
But I just got a notice from the University of Minnesota doing a study of people with tetraplegia like I have with a new treatment for reduction of stress. I'm interested and have contacted them but they have not returned my inquiry yet. Depending on what they are up to, probably some new form of meditation, I will decide whether or not I will participate.
In spite of what is going on all around the world and the business fire today in our neighborhood, I have little or no anxiety now and look realistically towards my death in the next few years, probably better sooner rather than later when my mind and body will begin to deal with stress less effectively.
Ron