Making Stress Work For You
Stress. We all have it. It can affect us as we face deadlines, holiday dinners with the in-laws, and presentations. Is the stuffing too dry? The gravy too thick? Are my colleagues yawning because my presentation is boring? You begin to perspire as your heart rate picks up and your body and mind go into stress mode. So what can you do to combat these feelings?
Health Psychologist Kelly McGonigal would have us stop thinking that stress is the enemy.
“Basically, I’ve turned stress into the enemy. But I have changed my mind about stress, and today, I want to change yours.” In her TED Talk for wellness, Dr. McGonigal explains how years of misunderstanding the symptoms of stress has caused early deaths and unnecessary health problems. With a busy autumn term quickly approaching, we can benefit from a new look on how to use stress to our advantage. How To Make Stress Your Friend
Mental and emotional health are vital to living each day to the fullest and feeling your absolute best. Feeling blue can interrupt your work, your relationships, and even your physical health. Every now and then you are going to have some down days where things are not quite going your way or maybe you’re even just feeling downright crabby, but the key to living a brighter life is resilience! Learning how to bounce back from hard times is the biggest factor in being mentally and emotionally healthy! Also, paying attention to your physical health, taking good care of yourself, and having positive, supportive relationships are also linked to feeling a little brighter all the time. Take a minute to read this article by Melinda Smith, Robert Segal, and Jeanne Segal. They run through ways that you can improve your mental and physical health by switching up or adding a few things into your day-to-day life. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/improving-emotional-health.htm
Smile, friends! The world is a beautiful place!