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AtricleZine - Stress & Spirituality, Part 1
The Initial Agony The clock ticks away and still you haven't thought up a design or even a topic for your coursework - a psychological investigation on an issue of your choice. Many students come to me in the agony of not knowing what to study for their investigation with its impending deadline. Some say things like, "Well, I want to do something on eyewitness testimony but I don't know exactly what." On further questioning it appears not that they haven't spent hours thinking about it, but rather they haven't spent time asking themselves the right sort of questions. So, if you are in this position, lis
There are many in our civilization, which have extremely creative minds and many who borderline on what some might characterize as brilliant. Unfortunately often we do not utilize such members of society correctly. Plato had discussed in “The Republic” that the civilization is best served when each individual does what they do best and is alleviated from those tasks they do not do well. Indeed this is good advice as entrepreneurs make lousy accountants and athletes make lousy clerks.Now then speaking purely from a self-assessment standpoint, I enjoy being innovative yet am bombarded with archaic work to put
Take a moment to close your eyes and think about what a ‘spiritual’ person looks like. Whether you see them as sitting lotus-style in saffron robes or speaking emphatically from a pulpit, I’d bet one thing you won’t see them as is ‘stressed’. Relaxed… serene… beatific. These are all adjectives we associate with the super-spiritual. But stressed? Kind of defeats the purpose of all that spirituality, doesn’t it?
I’m going to take a moment here to make the all-important distinction between religion and spirituality. Different people have different definitions of each, but for the purposes of this article, it’s important to be clear about what I mean by each term. A religion is a codified set of beliefs and practices shared by adherents. Spirituality, by contrast, is about an individual’s relationship with Spirit (however they might see it) and their connection with their own spiritual aspect. Please note that the two concepts can co-exist, but that religion doesn’t have to be spiritual, and equally, spirituality doesn’t need to be religious.
In this article, I want to focus on spirituality, rather than religion. If you do follow an organised religion, feel free to apply the information to your own spiritual path. If not, I invite you to keep in mind the difference between religion and spirituality as you read. This is because there’s a great deal of evidence that a healthy spiritual belief system can both help lessen the impact some of our stressors have on us, and deal with the consequences of our stress responses. The first half of this article covers some of the suggested reasons for this, while the second (which will appear in the next issue of Optimum Stress News) explores how we can use this link to help with our stress management.
SUPPORT NETWORKS
Most stressors seem bigger and more difficult to deal with if we’re feeling isolated and as though we’re dealing with them alone. Knowing that we belong to and can connect with a group of people who care, and who can offer solace, strength and possibly even solutions, can do much to offset that feeling. And interestingly enough, that sense of belonging doesn’t necessarily have to be to a group of people. If we see the natural world as something we can interact with, or Spirit or our Higher Selves as beings with whom we can talk, then they can become part of our support just as much as actual people could.
PERSPECTIVE
In the thousand and one things we all have to do to keep up with the demands work, study, family, and friends; problems that would seem fairly minor if they attacked us one-by-one can seem unbearably huge. At such times, believing in something bigger than ourselves (or bigger than the day-to-day self who has to deal with all of these problems) can sometimes help to shrink our stressors back down to something approaching a manageable size.
MEANING
It’s a hard thing to accept when we’re going through tough periods, but it’s not the things that happen to us that upset us. What upsets us is the meanings we give those events. For example, if I’ve just failed a job interview, it’s not actually failing the interview that’s upset me – it’s all the things I’ve made it mean. Perhaps, in my mind, it means I’ll never get a job, that I’m just no good at interviews, that I’ll always be broke, or even that I’m a useless person in all areas of my life. Whatever it might be, unless I had my heart set on that specific job, it’s unlike to just be the interview results. When this happens, a sense of spirituality can help me to look for positive meanings in seemingly negative events – enabling me to ask what I can learn, or how I can grow stronger, instead of asking why it’s al
When most people use the term Plastic Surgery, they more often than not use it in reference to cosmetic surgery. Few people actually stop to think that Plastic Surgery covers a far wider range of surgical procedures and that cosmetic surgery is only one type of surgery related to Plastic Surgery. The full scope of Plastic Surgery is quite wide if one stops to think about it and more often than not, is related to, and, plays a fundamental role in conjunction with other fields of medicine and surgical procedures pertaining to the field of general surgery. Plastic Surgery is basically concerned with the reconstructio
In this article, I want to focus on spirituality, rather than religion. If you do follow an organised religion, feel free to apply the information to your own spiritual path. If not, I invite you to keep in mind the difference between religion and spirituality as you read. This is because there’s a great deal of evidence that a healthy spiritual belief system can both help lessen the impact some of our stressors have on us, and deal with the consequences of our stress responses. The first half of this article covers some of the suggested reasons for this, while the second (which will appear in the next issue of Optimum Stress News) explores how we can use this link to help with our stress management.
SUPPORT NETWORKS
Most stressors seem bigger and more difficult to deal with if we’re feeling isolated and as though we’re dealing with them alone. Knowing that we belong to and can connect with a group of people who care, and who can offer solace, strength and possibly even solutions, can do much to offset that feeling. And interestingly enough, that sense of belonging doesn’t necessarily have to be to a group of people. If we see the natural world as something we can interact with, or Spirit or our Higher Selves as beings with whom we can talk, then they can become part of our support just as much as actual people could.
PERSPECTIVE
In the thousand and one things we all have to do to keep up with the demands work, study, family, and friends; problems that would seem fairly minor if they attacked us one-by-one can seem unbearably huge. At such times, believing in something bigger than ourselves (or bigger than the day-to-day self who has to deal with all of these problems) can sometimes help to shrink our stressors back down to something approaching a manageable size.
MEANING
It’s a hard thing to accept when we’re going through tough periods, but it’s not the things that happen to us that upset us. What upsets us is the meanings we give those events. For example, if I’ve just failed a job interview, it’s not actually failing the interview that’s upset me – it’s all the things I’ve made it mean. Perhaps, in my mind, it means I’ll never get a job, that I’m just no good at interviews, that I’ll always be broke, or even that I’m a useless person in all areas of my life. Whatever it might be, unless I had my heart set on that specific job, it’s unlike to just be the interview results. When this happens, a sense of spirituality can help me to look for positive meanings in seemingly negative events – enabling me to ask what I can learn, or how I can grow stronger, instead of asking why it’s a
You’ve always taken good care of your teeth. You brush your teeth twice a day. You use an ADA approved toothpaste and toothbrush. You replace your toothbrush every 3 months or even sooner if you’ve been sick or notice that your toothbrush is showing wear. You floss daily. You even monitor your snacks so that you’re not eating too much sugar when you’re away from your toothbrush. You don’t want sugary snacks coating your teeth and causing bacteria to form. That wouldn’t be good. But one thing you’ve never been able to make yourself do regularly is visit the dentist. You hate it there. The smells, the sound
SUPPORT NETWORKS
Most stressors seem bigger and more difficult to deal with if we’re feeling isolated and as though we’re dealing with them alone. Knowing that we belong to and can connect with a group of people who care, and who can offer solace, strength and possibly even solutions, can do much to offset that feeling. And interestingly enough, that sense of belonging doesn’t necessarily have to be to a group of people. If we see the natural world as something we can interact with, or Spirit or our Higher Selves as beings with whom we can talk, then they can become part of our support just as much as actual people could.
PERSPECTIVE
In the thousand and one things we all have to do to keep up with the demands work, study, family, and friends; problems that would seem fairly minor if they attacked us one-by-one can seem unbearably huge. At such times, believing in something bigger than ourselves (or bigger than the day-to-day self who has to deal with all of these problems) can sometimes help to shrink our stressors back down to something approaching a manageable size.
MEANING
It’s a hard thing to accept when we’re going through tough periods, but it’s not the things that happen to us that upset us. What upsets us is the meanings we give those events. For example, if I’ve just failed a job interview, it’s not actually failing the interview that’s upset me – it’s all the things I’ve made it mean. Perhaps, in my mind, it means I’ll never get a job, that I’m just no good at interviews, that I’ll always be broke, or even that I’m a useless person in all areas of my life. Whatever it might be, unless I had my heart set on that specific job, it’s unlike to just be the interview results. When this happens, a sense of spirituality can help me to look for positive meanings in seemingly negative events – enabling me to ask what I can learn, or how I can grow stronger, instead of asking why it’s a
When a couple gets a legal separation, it is a lot like a divorce. It will involve the same process of filing papers with the court to start a legal action. The court will then have to make the decisions about where the children will live, debts, and assets in a divorce. At the end of the process, the parties are legally separated instead of being actually divorced. This means that they are still married but not responsible for each other and what the other party does.A legal separation is the best thing to do in the last stages of couples not getting along. It can be a way of taking a break and finding
PERSPECTIVE
In the thousand and one things we all have to do to keep up with the demands work, study, family, and friends; problems that would seem fairly minor if they attacked us one-by-one can seem unbearably huge. At such times, believing in something bigger than ourselves (or bigger than the day-to-day self who has to deal with all of these problems) can sometimes help to shrink our stressors back down to something approaching a manageable size.
MEANING
It’s a hard thing to accept when we’re going through tough periods, but it’s not the things that happen to us that upset us. What upsets us is the meanings we give those events. For example, if I’ve just failed a job interview, it’s not actually failing the interview that’s upset me – it’s all the things I’ve made it mean. Perhaps, in my mind, it means I’ll never get a job, that I’m just no good at interviews, that I’ll always be broke, or even that I’m a useless person in all areas of my life. Whatever it might be, unless I had my heart set on that specific job, it’s unlike to just be the interview results. When this happens, a sense of spirituality can help me to look for positive meanings in seemingly negative events – enabling me to ask what I can learn, or how I can grow stronger, instead of asking why it’s a
Bankruptcy versus IVA: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSQ: What is an Individual Voluntary Arrangement ‘IVA’?A: An IVA is a legally binding contract between yourself and your creditors, which will generally last for 5 years. You will put forward an offer as settlement of your debts to your creditors based upon the following:1. A fixed monthly contribution based upon your available disposable income2. If you own your property you will be required to take reasonable steps, (by way of remortgage), to make a proportion of the equity available to your creditors.3. If you are unable to remortg
SPACE & STILLNESS
Something most spiritual systems emphasise is the need for time spent by ourselves in quiet and stillness. In this still space, our minds - weary of thoughts rushing around at breakneck speed – can find rest. The time alone can be spent meditating, praying, or just listening and appreciating what is there around and within us in that given moment. The form doesn’t matter – whatever is right for you is what’s right for you. It’s the peace and respite we’re accessing – the simple ‘time out’ that makes this so helpful for stress management.
These are just four of the possible suggested ways that developing a personal spirituality can help in keeping our stress at optimum levels. In Part 2, we’ll look at how we can start to develop the kind of spirituality that’s true to our own individual values, and how to make use of it as a tool for managing stress. If you have any questions or comments on the first half of the article, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Otherwise, until the next issue, may every day bring you closer to your optimum life.
Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner
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