Today we walked with a close friend around an arboretum. Hence, the picture of Dreamy in the water and me beside a small lake. He was warm, so he cooled himself by getting wet. The arboretum contained trees native to Australia and we enjoyed the colours and textures of each type relaxing beneath them as the breeze kept us cool. My friend and I talked about stress as we walked. For me, consistent stress was part of my life from an early age.
Although mum presented to the world as happy, behind closed doors life was very different for her. Mum was anxious and angry. She wasn’t happy with her life, yet she did nothing to change it. Back then, little was known about the impact stress has on health. The advice she received was to change what and how much she ate. This led to frustration as it was her way of comforting herself. Despite her efforts she could not change what she ate.
No one saw the bigger picture, an unhealthy lifestyle of poor eating habits, lack of exercise and stress. The focus on food failed to deal with the root issue. Mum was conflicted with herself. She was unhappy in her marriage and argued frequently with dad. This unhealthy stress increased the inflammation in her body and contributed to her health issues.
What is unhealthy stress? It is a prolonged state of psychological or emotional pressure due to difficult or challenging situations. Healthy stress on the other hand is short term in nature. An example is the pressure to meet a deadline.
Even with regular exercise and a healthy diet, our health can be affected by prolonged stress. So, it is important to eliminate this from our life if possible.
I have changed many aspects of my life to eliminate stress. Some examples are limiting time spent with family members and difficult people, leaving jobs and reducing loneliness by adopting Dreamy. And now I am changing another part of my life to reduce stress.
Have you experienced stress for a prolonged period? Can you change the situation?
If you want to talk, message me for a chat.
In love, Jenny
