Stress can take the love out of living, the S out of SEX, the spirit out of your soul and the light from your dreams. If there was one common thread that created mass destruction equally with your health, wealth, relationships and success it would certainly be the big S – STRESS!

You see, when you’re stressed or overwhelmed with all that stuff to do all the time (or rules and regulations you place upon yourself of what you’re not “allowed to do”) it’s hard to maintain a passionate relationship, be the fun Mum or Dad, turn a business around to gaining higher profits or even shift that unwanted weight around the middle (many of us know about that).

Stress is literally a killer (of dreams, sex, relationships and even life- ouch)! The list of Stress – related illnesses is way too long to list here. Give it a google to be amazed at the myriad of information of stress related illnesses. In my line of work many people tell me how outrageously busy they are and how time poor they are but when I asked them do they feel stressed they reply “naah, I’m ok, I’m right” (typical bloody Aussies “the she’ll be right mate” attitude).
We need a certain amount of ‘healthy stress’, but are you overdosing?

Are you suffering from Stress Denial Syndrome or I’ll Be Right – itis?

The big question today is: Are you suffering from Stress Denial Syndrome? Otherwise known as SDS or I’ll be right – itis (I made this up so you may night find on your favorite medical site) You see I used to suffer from SDS and well sometimes still do. I continually experienced feelings of exhaustion, was overworked, overwhelmed, felt lost in my own busyness, tightness in my neck causing headaches, racing thoughts, the feeling of hardly coming up for air, not feeling on track, just going through the daily motions with no real sense of purpose, bloating, illness, emotional highs and lows, I can do it all mentality, blaming my boyfriend for EVERYTHING, always in reaction to situations rather than calm response, I drank and ate to escape. Told you I’ve been there before. I finally feel relief as I’m sorting my fashizzle out and  helping others along the way with what I learn.

These feelings action or symptoms are classic Stress Denial Syndrome symptoms are a sure sign that you are stressed in some capacity.

Other sure fire ways to tell if you’re suffering from SDS or I’ll be right – itis is if you say things to yourself like:

  • “oh my god I sooo need a holiday” – event though you’ve just had one
  • “Honestly, what is the point to all this”
  • ” Why is everyone annoying me all the time, wish they’d just piss off”
  • “I wish I could just sleep for a week, no make it two”
  • “Why do I keep getting sick all the time”
  • “I wish I could just run away to a deserted island”
  • “Why do I keep shoving chocolate in my mouth when I know it’s bad for me, grr”
  • “I have no idea what I’m even doing anymore”
  • “Why am I so damn moody all the time. One day I’m as high as Courtney Love then the next day I’m as down as Elvis Presley ?’
  • “Damn you cold – sores, why do you keep haunting me”
  • “I’m too tired to exercise even though I should and used to love it”
  • “I feel trapped in this life”

Do any of these sound like you?

Did you know stress can come in many forms other than the general getting busy kind of stress?

These include:

Physical Stress – Expecting too much from your body, pushing it to the limit, not enough rest or down time;

Nutritional Stress – Eating too much or too little of the wrong types of foods; Binging, starving etc

Chemical Stress – Bombardment of chemicals in food, cosmetic products, pharmaceutical drugs, polluted air,environmental toxins and household products;

Electromagnetic stress – Too much sun, exposure to EMR’s through electrical devices such as mobile phones, computers, microwaves, T.V’s etc

Emotional Stress – triggered by one sided perception of external events, eg feelings of fear or guilt, having unrealistic expectations, inability to say no and going into overwhelm. Phew!! You’ll lose the ability to come up with inspired ideas for your business, have fun in the bedroom or even be the life of the party (even after a bottle of Champers)

Stress drains our energy and vitality and can literally “wear us down” leaving us in a state of entropy (decay, decline, degeneration). This can lead to illness (cancer, headache, fatigue, IBS, shingles, herpes etc) , emotional breakdown and relationship breakdowns.

There are certainly ways to manage your stress without moving to a meditation commune in Tibet.

 

10 Simple Ways to Manage your Stress that doesn’t include Drinking a Bottle a Day

 

    1. Get With the Program!! You need to learn to ASK FOR HELP when you need it. Stop saying yes to everything and I’ll be right and ask for help at work, with the kids, ask your partner, ask your friends etc. This could be as simple as delegating tasks, getting a few coaching sessions to get you on track or taking a few days off just for you.
    2. Dump It! Write down your schedule. Don’t keep it in your head so it circulates around driving you insane, schedule it and forget about it until it comes up in your diary or planner.
    3. Breath Deep! Each day set an Alarm on your watch, phone or computer and when it buzzes STOP whatever you’re doing and take 5 long slow nourishing breathes, relaxing your head, neck and shoulders. So simple but sooo effective.
    4. Eat Real Food!! Stop overloading your system with caffeine, processed foods and over eating. Stick to the basics, Remember those? Fruit, Veggies, poultry, fish, nut’s, seeds, legumes. Yum!
    5. Restorative Yoga (or really any kind of yoga)! That feeling like you’re floating on a cloud feeling after yoga, is because your nervous system has just re-balanced itself. The stress hormones have gone back to normal person enjoying life mode, instead of high gear.
    6. Scrunch it! 1 day every week, yes it’s not a typo, EVERY WEEK, scrunch up the to-do list and allocate the day to you. Catch up with friends, chill with the family, go for a walk on your own, shop, fish, go bike riding; what ever floats your boat, go float it.
    7. Get Real! Is your job or workplace uninspiring, is it time to leave or start a fresh somewhere else? Sometimes we are our own worst enemies when it comes to making change, we know it has to be done but somehow you put it in the too hard basket. The too hard basket Sucks! It causes internal stress over time so get real with yourself, get clear on what you’d really love and take action.
    8. Be more Assertive! Some people go with the flow allowing others to dictate their destiny, plan their days or subordinate to the rules of others. Stuff it, get with your own program and say NO if you don’t want to do something. No can actually be a whole sentence. You don’t need to give people lengthy ridiculous excuses, just say no thanks.
    9. Lower the Bar! Do you set yourself ridiculous standard and then get stressed when you can never match them or others can’t live up to them. Find that fine line of high enough to be real not fantasy land. Soooo many people live in fantasy land when it comes to expectations.
    10. Make Peace with your Past! This was a clincher for me and is what actually inspired me to learn to take others through a process of “making peace with their past”. Unresolved resentments, elation’s, infatuation’s, guilt and fear creates deep internal stress that runs you and your life. Deal with your shit! This one does include asking for help and is only for the serious contender.

 

Start today busting your stress and you’ll be amazed at the difference it will make in your life. Only do it if you want more success, better relationships, a healthier mind, a healthier body and a more fulfilled existence.

 

Cheers

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