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| wholelife action area> getting to know myself better my working life personal relationships health - mind and body leisure, social and 'me time' mindercises |
learn
about your general stress and how it impacts on your health
As we've
already discussed your mental and physical health are inextricably linked.
Your reaction to 'stress', whatever that is for you, is critical to your
long-term well-being.
Books and magazine articles on stress and time management are
incredibly popular today and most of us have skimmed through these
texts with good intentions. See also de-stress
not distress in the comfort
zone section.
Some of us have even been on specially organised stress management workshops
which aim to enhance our performance, particularly at work! However 'stress
management' in isolation doesn't always work when you get back into the
real world. Screaming children, physical illnesses, demanding bosses,
lack of time to deal with things [even after you've reorganised your schedule
in line with the advice of the course, book or magazine article], all
contrive to spoil our good intentions.
Finding a permanent way to relax is the answer – see relaxation
skills in the comfort
zone section. You'll be pleased to know that intrinsic
relaxation is just one of the benefits that comes to you for free
when you adopt a WholeLife approach.
To get to the stage where you appreciate relaxation as being 'on
purpose', you will need to be open with yourself about your lifestyle
and your personality and look for ways to make changes. The following
questions are guidelines to help you see where stress is affecting
your life. [See also ‘work
effort, work related stress & time management’.]
- Are
you bored by life?
- Do
you lack direction in your life?
- Do
you feel in control of your life while welcoming a certain amount of
change?
- Would
you describe yourself as a person with a positive or a negative outlook
on life?
- Are
you 'too busy' to enjoy your time?
- Do
you overload yourself with seemingly 'important' things to do ?
- Do
you feel the need to keep busy in order to justify your existence?
- Could
you re- arrange your schedule to give you more 'quiet' time?
- Do
you take time out to 'stop and stare' without feeling guilty?
- Have
your circumstances or your commitments changed much in the last year?
- Do
you worry over things that are really outside your control?
- Are
you a person who often dwells on the past and thinks "...If only"?
- Are
you a perfectionist?
- Do
you find it difficult to discuss personal things with other people?
- Are
you ultra-competitive and aggressive most of the time?
- Do
you often get angry and loss your temper when it is inappropriate?
- Do
you suffer from nervous involuntary muscle movements eg. tics around
the eyes?
- When
you feel stressed are your bowel movements sometimes affected?
- Do
you recognise that inappropriate stress can cause you physical and mental
ill health?
- Would you describe yourself as a generally healthy person who has found balance in life?