A Word to the Wise - De-stress!

A friend forwards me an email about the levels of stress we undergo in our lives that got my attention. It cautioned that we should take time to make changes in our lives for longevity and prosperity.  Over the last couple of weeks I have had encounters or observed warnings that tells me to take notice and action about stress and stress reduction.I really need to take heed and cut down on the levels of stress and anxiety I deal with every day.


I decided to drop everything for the evening and relax, as a start. I stretched out on the sofa to relax; of course, I grabbed the TV remote and surfed for something fun to watch.

I came upon a program that was discussing the effects of holding a glass half full of water for a long time. The scenario was about, oh, guess what? The effects of stress on the body. They were describing the concept using the cliché of a glass half-full or half empty. It really doesn’t matter how one view the glass, the reporter said, because if we hold on to the weight for a long time, as small as it might seem,  it will becomes a problem, a burden that can break you down.

I took the train last week to visit my Mom. There was a poster in the car where I sat that asked; is your heart at risk? Again, talking about how stressed out we are. The poster and the question prompted me to write this down and to think about my levels of risk. The struggles of the job, keeping multiple balls in the air –family, finances, health, parent, friends, children, transportation, safety, environment, you name it. They certainly weaken the chambers of the fragile heart over time – holding on to the half full/half empty glass, whether you realize it or not, is taking a toll on you. All of this is leading to a canary (coronary) as the young child exclaimed. Stress is diminishing our quality and length of life and we must take control and reverse the trend. This warning and caution is all around us. Please stop, take a deep breath and take heed.

Take time to love yourself! Take the tape off, un-clutter your life! Yeah, this means me too.

I know that this is much easier said than done but take the time to plan and gradually unwrap those ties than bind you to the never ending roller coaster ride. Live, love laugh some more and find a person or place or thing that will give you relief and peace.