by Armand Crolli
Everyone is talking about stress. People often use various phrases like:
- I am stressed out.
- I have too much stress.
- I am stressed all the time.
What do these statements really mean? Stress is a general term that is used to describe many states of being that have not been fully examined. It is similar to saying “I am tired.” That can have many interpretations, depending on the situation.
Stress is basically unmanaged emotions or emotional reactions such as: anxiety, fear, frustration, anger, lack of control, etc. that have not been allowed to be fully expressed or acknowledged.
This is important to realize because emotions are the primary drivers for many of the physiological processes in our bodies, such as the reactions of the nervous system or our hormonal responses. For example, many people have a blood pressure increase in response to seeing a doctor. They have a feeling of dread that something bad will be found and this creates the stress response.
What many people don’t realize is that sustained responses from stress hormones connect to binge eating, insulin resistance, coronary artery disease and to the many so called modern day maladies. The mind and body are connected. Many of us participate in an endless game of looking for this nutrient, that spiritual practice technique, this treatment, or that magic herb to keep us in balance. The search itself is not wrong; however, if it is functioning as a substitution for work on the belief/mental/emotional realm, the search is of no use.
If someone can learn to self-regulate their emotional response patterns, their state of being translates into a more coherent, focused state of being rather than a chaotic state of being. This is what people refer to as being centered, balanced, having a sense of well-being, etc. People having the tools to manage these reactions can directly effect the outcomes of many health challenges that the general population succumbs to. How many times have you experienced or witnessed someone that has gone through a large amount of stress and then shortly after the stress subsides they come down with a cold?
Being able to see the emotional and stress correlation leads to greater health and vitality. How will you choose to navigate this road?
