Your Stress Can Kill You

And the more I look around

The more I see people managing it poorly...

Whether it's alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, just to name a few

Don't get me wrong, each and every one of the above I have used myself

But it took me a long time to be aware of times I was using them for stress management

When I reached that point I realized I had the ability to take action and start making changes

And find new ways to manage my stress that are not detrimental to my body and mind

For me, there are three things that I have focused on to manage stress recently

That not only help with my stress but are good for my mind and body

You see, the other options I mentioned before work too

But they come with a cost and not a benefit

Meaning they won't work forever

And will eventually kill you...

The Silence

This is a classic example

And has been around for centuries

But is still not practiced regularly by most people...

It can be done anywhere and only takes about 10 minutes

Bringing about a sense of calmness to your day when things are chaotic

Because that is exactly what you need when living in this fast past environment

Sometimes all the noise around us gets the best of us and we lose control of our thoughts

But when we sit down, close our eyes, and focus on our breathing, we can escape it

Allowing us to realize that the reality around us doesn't always have to be

And we have the ability to create our own reality that works for us

Where we can calm our emotions and alleviate the stress

So that we can re-focus and find energy again

Even amongst all the external pressure

This is how I use MEDITATION

To help manage my stress

And it helps...

The Flexibility

I used to think it was for women

And that men didn't practice at all really

Until I finally laid out the mat on the ground and focused...

If you've battled stress for years with poor management, this will resonate

Because if you're like me, you can feel the tension (stress) deep within your body

And you've completely lost your physical flexibility from your head all the way to your toes

I hate to break it to you, but this is from years of stress you've kept bottled up within

And the only way to get your flexibility back is to release all of that tension

Unfortunately, going to the gym and lifting doesn't do the same

In fact, it can actually lead to having less flexibility

But YOGA can actually break the mold

And help you release it all...

The Awareness

External factors are uncontrollable

And you will never be able to predict the future

That said, the more awareness you have the better off you are...

Take a minute here, and think of the last stressful moment you had recently

Often times it's an external factor that fueled it...could be work, family, finances etc.

Now think about the moment right before that external factor made you lose all your control

How can you go from being so calm and relaxed to now thinking the world is ending?

If you think about it, something just doesn't add up here and makes no sense

That's where the awareness comes in and gives you some control back

Because it's how we respond to the external factors that matter

Often times its us ourselves that create the stress response

So instead of letting it all in at once, put it on hold

And come back to it when you're ready

So that you can ACCEPT it

And take action...

The Lesson

My situation is not unique

And some stress is good to have

But too much stress will kill you in the end...

This is why I find it so important to find new ways to manage it

Because if you keep drinking alcohol, using drugs, and smoking tobacco

You may be able to manage your stress in the short term, but it will always come back

And in the meantime, you will only continue to damage your mind and your body

The two things that allow you to operate and build the life that you truly want

It took me about a decade to realize this myself, but now I have a solution

I am more aware now and make sure I use all of these tools regularly

I practice yoga a couple of times a week and meditate daily

It's the awareness that's probably hardest one for me

But the yoga and meditation help with that

So that I can learn to relax a bit more

And manage the stress better

You should do the same...

With Love,

Steven Arthur George

Ps...this will be the only CannaBeMe blog post for January 2023.

I will be back in your inbox the first week of February!