In the latest edition of The Week (my favorite mag), there was not one but 2 articles on the topic of anxiety and stress. More and more people suffer from these, and the numbers are on the rise.
Until last year, I was on the treadmill in a busy office job, with ever growing feelings of stress and tension. These resulted in very physical and mental symptoms. Despite being able to recognize and clearly see the sources of pressure, I could still not free myself from the tight shoulders and the knot in the stomach. I enjoyed my job, and if some level of stress is healthy and energizing, I just felt wired all the time. And that didn’t feel good.
It is only now that I have stepped out of the environment and walked away from the treadmill that I have more clarity on what was going on. There was simply too much of everything: too much to do, too many projects needing attention, too many e-mails to respond to, too many relationships to juggle. Taken individually, each one of these demands on my energy was perfectly manageable. It was just the sum of them that became untenable.
A few weeks ago I suddenly noticed that I could not feel tension in any muscle in my body. A year ago it was unimaginable that this might even be possible.
I now work with people who have too much going on or are overwhelmed. I help them see more clearly again and focus on what’s important. I help them de-clutter their brains, simplify their lives and find calmness again.
What single thing can you do this week to reduce your stress level?