Do you know anyone who is addicted to stress?
I've met many people in workshops who find themselves defending their harmful stress - like they are attempting to protect it. Justify it. Hang on to it. It's like they need it. They could be addicted.
When you are stressed, your body creates a powerful chemical mix. This chemical mix can actually become quite addictive, requiring a "daily fix" of stress for you to feel "normal." (In our society, this daily fix seems to be an easy thing to come by.)
I know, this all sounds weird. I mean, have you heard of a 12-Step program for stress addicts? "Hi, my name is Denver, and I'm addicted to stress." Maybe there should be! And you just don't find people going around saying, "I've discovered that I'm addicted to stress." But listen to people talk, watch their actions, and you may see it anyway!
When you are stressed on a regular basis, your body is releasing a chemical mix that is preparing you to handle the "danger" of the situation. Typically, this is called "fight or flight." (And in emergencies, this can be a life savor!) Both - fight and flight - require increased energy, so your body empowers you with increased energy through adrenoline. The problem is, your body is damaged when it's exposed to large quantities of adrenaline on a repeated basis. Therefore, you see a lot of stressed people developing medical problems. In fact, studies reveal that 75-80% of our medical problems are directly or indirectly related to stress - and the chemical mix associated with it.
So, are you addicted to stress? To find out, begin paying attention to your life. Are you able to move through the day without stress? What happens when you take a day off and relax? If you don't get stressed out during the day, do you somehow feel abnormal? Do you find yourself saying things like, "But stress motivates me. How will I be motivated if I'm not stressed?" Do you find yourself creating your own drama in life in order to create stressful reactions in yourself or others?
Why is this important to consider? Because we must decide if we will live an addiction to stress and suffer its many consequences - or live our possibilities and enjoy the many blessings.
I've met many people in workshops who find themselves defending their harmful stress - like they are attempting to protect it. Justify it. Hang on to it. It's like they need it. They could be addicted.
When you are stressed, your body creates a powerful chemical mix. This chemical mix can actually become quite addictive, requiring a "daily fix" of stress for you to feel "normal." (In our society, this daily fix seems to be an easy thing to come by.)
I know, this all sounds weird. I mean, have you heard of a 12-Step program for stress addicts? "Hi, my name is Denver, and I'm addicted to stress." Maybe there should be! And you just don't find people going around saying, "I've discovered that I'm addicted to stress." But listen to people talk, watch their actions, and you may see it anyway!
When you are stressed on a regular basis, your body is releasing a chemical mix that is preparing you to handle the "danger" of the situation. Typically, this is called "fight or flight." (And in emergencies, this can be a life savor!) Both - fight and flight - require increased energy, so your body empowers you with increased energy through adrenoline. The problem is, your body is damaged when it's exposed to large quantities of adrenaline on a repeated basis. Therefore, you see a lot of stressed people developing medical problems. In fact, studies reveal that 75-80% of our medical problems are directly or indirectly related to stress - and the chemical mix associated with it.
So, are you addicted to stress? To find out, begin paying attention to your life. Are you able to move through the day without stress? What happens when you take a day off and relax? If you don't get stressed out during the day, do you somehow feel abnormal? Do you find yourself saying things like, "But stress motivates me. How will I be motivated if I'm not stressed?" Do you find yourself creating your own drama in life in order to create stressful reactions in yourself or others?
Why is this important to consider? Because we must decide if we will live an addiction to stress and suffer its many consequences - or live our possibilities and enjoy the many blessings.
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