The Stress Solution

Stress is a normal part of everyday life. Bad traffic, a big deadline at work, a fight with your spouse there are hundreds of things that can make us feel stressed out. Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.—Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.—Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

Maria was in her forties when she came to our offices for help. She was unhappy because her belly had gotten fat, and she had been struggling for years to lose the weight. She was also under constant stress. Her mother had suffered a stroke several years earlier, and Maria had taken on the role of caretaker. On top of that, her son had started acting out. Maria was spending so much time caring for the others in her family that she had been neglecting her own health and well-being for too long.

I told her something that I tell many of my patients, “You need to put on your own oxygen mask first before you help others.” What I mean by this is you need to look out for yourself first so you can be healthy enough take care of the people you love. Thanks to some stress management techniques and a renewed focus on her own needs, Maria lost the abdominal fat and fared much better in taking care of her mother and son.

Stress is a normal part of everyday life. Bad traffic, a big deadline at work, a fight with your spouse there are hundreds of things that can make us feel stressed out. When the event passes, so does the stress, and we can breathe a big sigh of relief. With chronic stress, however, there is no relief.

Stemming from family discord, financial hardships, health issues, work conflicts, or school trouble, chronic stress can be unrelenting. And it affects far too many of us. In a recent poll by the American Psychological Association, a whopping 80 percent of Americans said the weakened economy is causing them significant stress. That spells trouble for your brain and body.

Extract From Book - Change Your Brain, Change Your Body – By Daniel G Amen

Love Your Life Tags: Daniel G Amen, Change Your Body, Change Your Brain, Stress Solution, Stress, Richard Carlson, American Psychological Association, abdominal fat, Americans, health, well-being, Bad traffic, brain and body

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