ne or more illnesses that are directly stress-mediated.

There is a big difference between normal and average. Stress, obesity, and stress-related illness are average in the sense that a large number of people are affected by them. They are not normal. They are not our natural state of being.

Our bodies are designed to spring into action quickly in an emergency

Stress is a hot topic today and there is a lot of information floating around about it - where it comes from, how to avoid it, how to manage it, and what can happen to you if you don’t heed the warnings. You’d think we would be doing a better job with it. I think I know why we aren’t. There are also a lot of myths about stress and stress management that are rampant in our society.

Myth #1 - But it is good stress!

This is a popular one! It is true that we experience challenge even from events that are supposed to be positive. The Holmes-Rahe index of recent life changes assigns a point value to various events. You add up your points and your overall score is a reasonable predictor of how likely you are to become ill within the next year.

Many items on the list are positive ones - marriage, a new job, buying a house. The thing about it is that we don’t use the word stress when we are experiencing the exhilaration of a challenge. By the time you use the word stress you aren’t having a positive experience any more. When you are having a positive experience you use words like challenge, stretch, and adventure.

So pay attention to your language! When you use the word stress, listen to yourself and do something about it.

Myth #2 - Stress is normal

I like this one, too. It is true that many people in our society are stressed. We almost seem to wear it like a badge. It is also becoming “normal” in our society to be overweight and to suffer from one or more illnesses that are directly stress-mediated.

There is a big difference between normal and average. Stress, obesity, and stress-related illness are average in the sense that a large number of people are affected by them. They are not normal. They are not our natural state of being.

Our bodies are designed to spring into action quickly in an emergency

society.

Myth #1 - But it is good stress!

This is a popular one! It is true that we experience challenge even from events that are supposed to be positive. The Holmes-Rahe index of recent life changes assigns a point value to various events. You add up your points and your overall score is a reasonable predictor of how likely you are to become ill within the next year.

Many items on the list are positive ones - marriage, a new job, buying a house. The thing about it is that we don’t use the word stress when we are experiencing the exhilaration of a challenge. By the time you use the word stress you aren’t having a positive experience any more. When you are having a positive experience you use words like challenge, stretch, and adventure.

So pay attention to your language! When you use the word stress, listen to yourself and do something about it.

Myth #2 - Stress is normal

I like this one, too. It is true that many people in our society are stressed. We almost seem to wear it like a badge. It is also becoming “normal” in our society to be overweight and to suffer from one or more illnesses that are directly stress-mediated.

There is a big difference between normal and average. Stress, obesity, and stress-related illness are average in the sense that a large number of people are affected by them. They are not normal. They are not our natural state of being.

Our bodies are designed to spring into action quickly in an emergency

next year.

Many items on the list are positive ones - marriage, a new job, buying a house. The thing about it is that we don’t use the word stress when we are experiencing the exhilaration of a challenge. By the time you use the word stress you aren’t having a positive experience any more. When you are having a positive experience you use words like challenge, stretch, and adventure.

So pay attention to your language! When you use the word stress, listen to yourself and do something about it.

Myth #2 - Stress is normal

I like this one, too. It is true that many people in our society are stressed. We almost seem to wear it like a badge. It is also becoming “normal” in our society to be overweight and to suffer from one or more illnesses that are directly stress-mediated.

There is a big difference between normal and average. Stress, obesity, and stress-related illness are average in the sense that a large number of people are affected by them. They are not normal. They are not our natural state of being.

Our bodies are designed to spring into action quickly in an emergency

h, and adventure.

So pay attention to your language! When you use the word stress, listen to yourself and do something about it.

Myth #2 - Stress is normal

I like this one, too. It is true that many people in our society are stressed. We almost seem to wear it like a badge. It is also becoming “normal” in our society to be overweight and to suffer from one or more illnesses that are directly stress-mediated.

There is a big difference between normal and average. Stress, obesity, and stress-related illness are average in the sense that a large number of people are affected by them. They are not normal. They are not our natural state of being.

Our bodies are designed to spring into action quickly in an emergency

ne or more illnesses that are directly stress-mediated.

There is a big difference between normal and average. Stress, obesity, and stress-related illness are average in the sense that a large number of people are affected by them. They are not normal. They are not our natural state of being.

Our bodies are designed to spring into action quickly in an emergency and return to a state of calm fairly quickly when the emergency is over. It is not normal to stay in a constant state of watchfulness or anxiety.

Myth #3 - I don’t have time for stress management

Now, this one is easy. What do you, Bill Gages, Oprah, and the Dalai Lama have in common? Right, you each get 24 hours each day.

And it is amazing how your time priorities can change if a health emergency happens to you. Just watch how time priorities get rearranged after a person has a heart attack. All of a sudden they have time to watch their diet, exercise as recommended, and participate in rehabilitation on a daily basis. Where was that time before the heart attack? Right there, just being used for something that appeared more important at the time.

What is the answer?

There is no lack of information about stress management. In truth, what you need to do can be woven seamlessly through most of your day. The other parts, the quiet time and the exercise time, can take as little as 30 minutes total, unless you are training to be a mystic or an athlete. Don’t fall prey to the myths. Educate yourself and start today to do even one small thing to improve your well-being.