Article by Anni & Carsten Sennov – February 2007
When it comes to preventing stress, focusing on healthy eating habits, exercise and personal well-being are essential. Of course it may be a blessing also to cut back on the work hours, if you need extra time with your family. Many people, never the less, thrive on working long hours and slave away if they feel they have found their right place in the world, where they more or less and at the right pace feel they can fulfil themselves.
Maybe these people have an inner clear picture of their dream job and have had it even when growing up. They had a vision of the direction, in which they wanted to proceed. Therefore, they are now driven by realizing their dreams. This is a situation which unfortunately is granted far too few people.
Choosing to throw themselves in demanding and enormous job situations and never feeling the slightest bit stressed, despite high-paced work and seemingly enormous assignments, is usually the result of the persons in question having looked inward previously in their lives. Looking inward to find the answer to the question what they basically wanted to do with their lives.
Given all, stress is solely the outcome of human beings doing things involuntarily. They may accept state of things in their lives, things they do not thrive by. They may spend their time on things they are not interested in. Things they may not even like or things they are not able to cope with.
As a matter of fact people with stress are rarely conscious about the reason for their stress reaction. Their focus is not the right focus, neither when they are in a process of exceeding their limitations nor when they let factors from outside release the stress. They are not able to set limitations in their lives or they are controlled by finances, prestige, influences and/or pressure from outside.
Whether the reason for stress is triggered by a hidden wish of obtaining something or the by fear of losing something is irrelevant as such, as the final result is the same – viz. stress.
‘Positive stress’ is simply a person objecting to any existing pressure. Hence the person may miss out on a possible promotion or the option of a breakthrough in their field of passion. Therefore, the person does not benefit from the effort they have done previously in their specific job. If the person chooses, however, to withstand pressure there are definitely advantages to see in the long run.
At the other end of the stress-scale lures a risk getting fired from the job, by the partner or by others who are close to the person. This is a reaction from the counterparts if the person backs out and does not perform satisfactorily on the job, in their relationship or within the family. Stress is not only a factor relating to the job.
Stress occurs in particular when a human being is without influence on their own daily living. This may be the case when:
- changes in time schedule and peripherals at work, which both may lead to a lesser position than previously
- long-term sick leave among co-workers – which again means a higher workload
- the kids or other family members with chronic diseases require nursing – which again means absence from work
- unstable transport opportunities to and from job, day care facilities and home changes in private sphere – i.e. moving, child birth, children starting day care or school, divorce etc.
- kids requiring extra attention and/or behaving badly on a daily basis
There are many reasons causing stress, but a common frame shows that we throughout an indefinite time are subject to other peoples’ needs, behaviour and decisions. To a certain extend
have been able to mobilise the energy to handle the up-coming change and/or disturbance.
Your mind stops working, however, when things keep taking our unawares, when they remain dysfunctional and when we are unable to change things significantly.
If the disturbance is only short-lived, most people are very good at restoring themselves to health, perhaps by getting a little extra rest, going on vacation or doing something good for themselves. This is their consolation in their busy and modern daily lives.
On the other hand, the stress and the strain you put on your entire body may require a few days in bed, as the body reacts before the mind. This kind of stress can be cured with healthy eating and healthy living.
Once you have experienced stress your stress level is never the same again. Quite simply, your upper management bar has been lowered once and for all. This means it is often difficult if not impossible to return to the same job or job situation again.
A consequence of this kind of stress forces you to see your job- and health situations in a different light. Today’s human beings often identify themselves by the job they do. Therefore, the person is forced to consider thoroughly what they want to do with their daily life and life in general.
All of a sudden a clear picture shows that personal development is the way to go. Through personal development you can find out what you really want to do with your life and find your personal limitations.