When Stressed, let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater...
Have you noticed how being over-stressed is simply considered normal in our culture?
In some sectors, being in a state of constant stress is actually praised!
(Jeff Bezos has been quoted saying he actually wants his workers in a state of terror - believing it makes a more productive workforce)
If you feel that’s crazy, I’m here to agree with you - being in a state of constant stress is not natural- it’s unhealthy… and unfortunately, it’s often considered normal in our culture.
Traumatic and chronic stress (sometimes combined) dysregulate our nervous system, throw our hormones out of whack and can lead to a multitude of ailments. Any work culture that convinces us that hustle and being over worked are just facts of life is overlooking how this tends to lead to burnout, LESS creativity and lower productivity. Not to mention Decreased Happiness!
But on the other hand, does that mean our goal should be to get rid of stress altogether?
Wellness Practices have created a counter-culture that thrives by getting us to buy into the need for relieving and decreasing stress. And certainly they are helpful but…
We accept as normal the yo-yo patterns of being chronically stressed and then working hard to undo that stress (or in some cases, chronically avoiding stress altogether).
This may be normal. But it is not natural. Being in the states of chronic over-stress or chronic avoidance of stress become dysfunctional and they lack the psychological flexibility needed to truly be adaptable and resilient enough for a flourishing life.
Consider this: our bodies cannot adapt and change to get stronger, fitter, or more resilient... unless they are exposed to stress.
It comes down to the type of stress and in these cases we call it "eu-stress" (or good stress) as opposed to “dis-stress”:
Movement and exercise when done mindfully help the body adapt and stay healthy
Learning difficult, new things help the mind stay sharp and healthy
Working through problems in a relationship can lead both to personal growth and deeper intimacy.
And changing our habits for the better, certainly causes stress in the short term, but eventually ends up leading to greater growth and fulfillment.
We need to modify our cultural memes around stress:
On the one hand there's no glory to enduring chronic stress through over-working nor from pushing your body past its ability to recover.
On the other hand, we don’t grow when we avoid stress all together.
We must be better at discerning what's for our greater good - what reflects our values - and what will bring more meaning into our lives.
We must be better at calibrating the intensity, duration, and exposure to stress so that it serves us well.
This is what we do in my Foundations of Moving Freely Program:
Define what values and goals we hold - to determine what must be done to get there.
Refine our internal compass to know when something is for our greater good or is just not healthy for us.
Develop the body resiliency through intentional exposure to stress (aka exercise and movement) so that it can handle with more ease those things that you desire to do.
Undo the habits that cause chronic stress but develop the habits that lead you to eustress and greater growth.
To talk with me about whether this program can help you, I invite you to schedule a free consultation with me to discuss your current physical issues and your goals.
If the Foundations program is a good fit for you, I’ll let you know and you can ask me any questions about it in order to decide whether you’d like to join.