Dealing With Stress

As I mentioned in the last blog we need to take care of our physical selves.  And after a couple of instances which have happened in the last few days, I’ve decided stress is the first topic to discuss.

According to medical research stress is one of the leading factorsof serious medical conditions ranging from high blood pressure, to obesity, and even emotional breakdowns. 

We do not need to have been in the military to have symptoms which mirror Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD).  A major setback in our lives such as divorce or the death of a loved one or a major illness as outlined in this article from the Huffington Post in November 2011 can lead to overwhelming stress.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/why-bad-things_b_1067129.html

The key is recognizing what is happening to our system and to do something try to alleviate the stressful situation at least try to keep it in perspective.

A few days ago I was walking across the parking lot of a local mall.  A huge SUV backed out of its space.  The SUV  turned sideways till it was occupying three parking spaces.  It stopped, and suddenly leaped forward across three more spaces and smashed into the side a new sedan.  My first reaction was injuries.  Passengers with dazzled expressions  began to step out of the SUV.   Everyone was unharmed.  My thoughts  turned to the poor owner of the sedan.  They were in a store shopping and were going to return to their car to discover the entire right side smashed in.

This is what happened.  The SUV owner’s son had turned 16 and had his driving permit.  Dad decided to let him practice in a nearly empty parking lot.  What could go wrong?  He backed cock-eyed out of the parking space and when he tried to correct the SUV’s position his foot slipped off the brake and onto the gas.   Now we know what could go wrong.

Mall Security was called.  Names and insurance was provided.  Even if all was not well at least all was covered. 

In just this incident look at the stressors:

·      The flustered young man who got the vehicle into a difficult situation.  He made a mistake he is going to spend years working his way through. 

·      Dad is probably telling himself all kinds of things, and someday will smile at this event.  At the moment the smile is in the distant future. 

·      Mom, Grandmother and a younger brother and sister in the SUV who will remember this for a long time.

·      There is the owner of the sedan which was smashed.  That situation is not going to go away quickly.

The point is that stuff happens and it can happen very quickly. 

Again walking along the beach we saw a string of sculptures made from the drift-wood washed up during the last high tide.  A row of teepees stretched along the shore.  To me, it brings back a picture of how this space might have looked in days long past when the Chumash inhabited the area.