ON THE RACK

Question:  “How are you?” Answer:  “Compared to whom?”
(Lynne Hansher)

For  those of you who have a lot on your mind, others have a lot on their plate. By any other name; “burned out, exhausted, undone, unstrung, edgy, tense, aggravated, or knackered,” Yes! even the Brits get—-what we call STRESSED!

So, what do experts tell us to do when we are “coming apart at the seams?” First, the best way to cope with stress is to get a good night’s sleep, which infers that you still have to get up in the morning, and pretend that it’s not Monday. Being overwhelmed at work is a common reason for stress. That’s why Monday is the least favorite day of the week. British comic writer, John Wagner asks, “If every day is a gift, I’d like to know where I can return Mondays?”  Since Monday starts the work week, maybe a name change might help. Maybe people would be less stressed if we re-named Monday and called it Friday. Mondays are like kidney stones, but they do pass.

Medical School Professor, Herbert Benson also advises that taking 10 slow, deep breaths  helps a person to relax.  However, if you’re not into breathing,  physical exercise is recommended, but it is a scientific fact that lifting weights is better for you than lifting several bottles of beer, because in that case the only exercise you get is extending your belly. Also, it is good to stretch out those tense muscles, but throwing out your back won’t ease your tension.

Imagination is a way to relax such as visualizing that you are in your favorite vacation place. I advise, that in your mind, you leave the four teenagers at home.

I guess that mindfulness is different than just relaxing, because mindfulness is recommended to bring you back to the moment—breaking those stressful thoughts. So, if you are a fireman fighting a blaze, in order to feel less burned out—just get mindful— have a cup of tea, and notice the warmth in your hands.

A good brisk walk outside is a method to begin feeling less uneasy, and remember when you say to yourself, “I’ve had it up to here,” that you are a lot shorter than your best friend who is six feet tall, so she’s had it “Up to there,” which is a lot more than here!

My dear mother-in-law countered negative thoughts by telling me, “Dear, don’t tell me when you’ve had an argument with my son, because after you’ve kissed and made up, I will still be angry with him!”

Of course, positive self talk should help get one out of a funk.  Tell yourself, “I can do this!” “I am smart and I have handled bigger problems before!”  Try to keep things in perspective to buffer the stress, and maybe, just maybe you will discover, that it really isn’t worth all of the angst.

My way to combat stress is to ask myself, “Is it worth dying over?” Of course it’s not.  However, it might be worth treating myself to  a bowl of ice cream. It’s a given fact that stress cannot exist in the proximity of ice cream, and it is certainly more delicious than “biting someone’s head off.” And, Oh, Yes, Don’t worry about the calories, that’s stress for another day.


Esther Blumenfeld