Stress is a State of Mind
For years I have said that I don’t get stressed. This is not because my life is simple … quite the opposite. I have wife, 4 kids, day job, volunteer activities, consulting, and running. For a brief moment just now, I felt a bit of stress. Then I step back, refocus, and find myself in a good place again.
Someone was complaining to me about how stressed they were with taking their daughter to back-to-back activity and then doing homework with them. Eating in the car, do homework in the car, and go right to the next. This person has one child. And they are stressed. I have 4 kids, but am not stressed.
How is this possible?
This is a clear example that stress is self-induced. Your belief and view about stress impacts your health. If this wasn’t true, wouldn’t an ER doc or a firefighter running into a burning building die at a young age from stress? How do you feel after watching an intense tv show like 24, The Sopranos, or Breaking Bad? Do you feel your mood change?
The same is true with stress.
Be prepared for it and use that energy into a way that can help you.
I recently found a TED Talk by Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend. It’s about 10 minutes long and breaks down the science behind stress in the body.
Running 100 miles or 5 miles can sound stressful, but it’s just one step at a time.
