The Powerful Benefits Of Stress
Wait. What? Hold the phone. Stress is actually good for you? It sure can be! Great news right? Because you’ve got bucketloads of stress, more than you can handle. You’ve got so much that you strive every day to share it with the world – your stress makes them feel stressed, you talk about how stressed you are and you even wear those gorgeous shoulders as earrings. There is a catch, though. There are powerful benefits to stress – only when you use it right.
As you’ve heard me say a gabillion times before, every choice counts. And just like our food choices count, so do our mood choices and how we respond or react in any given situation. If you allow stress to turn you into a nasty piece of work, there is no benefit there. None. None for you, and certainly none for those around you. Quite the opposite in fact. When you develop the habit that invites you to be highly reactive to both the real and perceived stress in your life, you are causing detriment to your health and wellbeing, negatively affecting your relationships and all around challenging your ability to live a fulfilled life.
Stress, when we react to it in aggressive ways, is not beneficial. This we already know.
So where’s the good news? How we react to stress is a habit. Kind of like gratitude is a habit, and seeking out the magic detectives is a habit. When you feel that old familiar wave of stress, overwhelm or fear come over you, you have a choice in how you are going to process it, respond to it and move beyond it. This is how it becomes beneficial.
In this video, I explain in greater detail how stress can be a gift in our lives, when we understand how to use it for our own personal evolution. I also have a special shout out in this video to my Culinary Nutrition Experts who are in the midst of the stress of their 14-week program and rising above in magical ways!
Remember what I said in the video: there is nothing wrong with having a lot on the go or choosing to work really hard. All that we have happening in our life can be a blessing if we choose to accept it as such. And remember, it’s mighty easy to be calm, cool and collected while meditating, strolling through the park or practicing yoga. It’s taking those practices into the tough spots in our days that really makes the magic happen.
I referenced a few books in the video, here are some I recommend:
- A New Earth by Ekhart Tolle – Get it in the US/in Canada
- Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra – Get it in the US/in Canada
- Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Ramen – Get it in the US/in Canada
- Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra – Get it in the US/in Canada
- Full Catastrophe Living by John Kabat Zinn – Get it in the US/in Canada
- Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach – Get it in the US/in Canada
- When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodrin – Get it in the US/in Canada
When I’m stressed I figure out what is stressing me out the most and I get it done. As they say: Go to the heart of danger, there you will find safety.