It’s In Your Control

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James

Is it that easy? Not usually, but it is a powerful concept to know that our thoughts control our responses. Think about that for a second…how you interpret a situation, and how you react to it, can alter the severity of a situation and your anxiety levels. Our mind is a powerful tool. It literally controls every part of our body.

Your physical and emotional health are intimately intertwined into a mind-body connection.Practically, this makes a lot of sense. Many times it is because we predispose and anticipate a situation before it even happens. When we constantly worry about things in our lives, like jobs, finances, health, etc., our body responds with tense muscles, pain, headaches, and sometimes stomach issues. It can also lead to hypertension or other serious problems. Our bodies become in a constant state of stress and our natural “fight or flight” reaction is no longer prevalent as we are always fighting.

The mind-body connection is not new. However, the awareness of how to manage it has been a very big focus over the last few years. Some of these methodologies include meditation, relaxation exercises, breathing activities, and guided imagery. Exercise is always one of the main recommendations in all health arenas as it releases chemicals in your body, called endorphins, that interact with the receptors in your brain to reduce perceptions of pain and trigger a positive feeling throughout your body. It is an incredible stress reducer.

So this April, known as Stress Awareness Month, I implore you to evaluate tools that can help you reduce your stress. You will benefit so much in the long run. Or, take a trip to Europe – they seem to have figured it out.