Stress: The Potrait of a Killer

'Tis the Season
But why get so stressed! It's interesting to observe human behaviour this time of year in particular and I've certainly got caught up in the 'rush' and the 'needs' of the Season and experienced the anxiety, pressure and demands of the juggling act of purchasing gifts, attending gatherings and school concerts whilst continuing to pay your bills and not succumb to a new year of new debt.

The Link between Stress & Symptoms
"Great Jay" you may be saying "but what does this Christmas tale have to do with my muscle pain?" I think we can all agree that a certain level of stress is absolutely essential in life. The important words being 'certain level'. Everyone of us is as unique on the inside as we are on the outside and so 'one (wo)man's high stress may be another (wo)man's low stress'. Basically, we all have varying capacities to take on perceived stress. Regardless, stress of any nature - work, relationship, money, Christmas! - creates a fascinating physiological reaction in the body and the greater the perceived the stress and the longer we endure something intolerable to our physiology the greater the chance of symptoms arising to alert us to change something. If we ignore these early signs chronic pain and injury syndromes start to arise: chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Addison's disease, immune suppression, autoimmune diseases, cancer, poor recovery from exercise, tendinitis and the list goes on! 

The Definition of Insanity...
...is to continue to do the same thing and expect different results. So as we draw to a close of 2013 ask yourself "what have I continued to do this year and seen no long-term, positive results from." This applies to any are of your life: Physical Health & Wellbeing, 
Professional/Business, Social, Relationship/Family, Spiritual and Financial. Keep it very simple and list one goal that you know you can consistently work toward in each of these areas of your life. As you fulfill one goal, check it off and add a new one below it. This is a great strategy to help keep you on track and develop the discipline to achieve each goal rather than creating an overwhelming list that ultimately is unreachable for most everyone - other than Superman of course!

A Video That Can Change Your Life

Please take the time to watch this 50-minute documentary in which Professor Robert Sapolsky educates us about the #1 source of all human diseases - stress. Travel back in time and discover how our early ancestors had infrequent bouts of high-stress combined with very frequent opportunities to relax and restore. As a Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology and Neurological Sciences his research is at the forefront of understanding the profound impact of stress upon human physiology and where we as a species are heading unless take accountability for our health and learn to moderate stress.

Sincerely I wish you a relaxing and rejuvenating Holiday Season.

Jason.