I am a stress – case.  There’s no doubt about it.

Actually, I was a stress-case, worry wart, “Mother Bowles,” as my mother would say.  But I’m working on it.  I’m learning.  I CRAVE less stress, drama, and unease in my life ~ so I’m making an extra effort to create that atmosphere for myself.

I certainly cannot control my surroundings, but I can control my reaction to the events and whatnot that occur in my “space.”

Awhile ago I posted a fantastic Ted Talk entitled, “Appreciate Your Stress.”  If you did not get a chance to view this, I still highly recommend it.

[ted id=1815]

What’s more, additional research is revealing that stress really does not have to be detrimental, such as we’ve thought and known for so long.

Reaction.  Response.  Choice.

Take a look at what Mark Sisson has to say here:

…your pulse will pound and you’ll exhibit all the classic symptoms of being under immense amounts of stress. But you’re not actually in danger. You’re under pressure. You’re gearing up to perform. Your nervous system is preparing you to handle the coming task.

Let’s look at those symptoms differently for a second.

Your pounding heart and racing pulse? It’s delivering nutrient-rich blood to your muscles, organs, and other tissues.

The tunnel vision? All the better to help you focus on your target or goal.

Faster breathing? More oxygen for your brain.

Anxiety? It’s to ensure caution and leave nothing to chance.

Even our sweaty palms and pits aren’t there to throw us off our game and make things even harder. We sweat under stress in order to alert others nearby – by odor – to the danger so that we can mount a unified response.

This changes things up, doesn’t it? Getting anxious over a girl doesn’t damage your health, nor does giving a speech. But the response to these challenges are eerily similar to the stress response.

That’s because the stress response is a preparedness tool…

Reappraisal – changing how you think about stress – is the big one, but there are other actions to take that can positively change your response to stress…

Read MORE:
Rethinking Stress: It Could Save Your Life

Let’s all do ourselves a favor and RE-THINK!