Stress Kills: Margin Heals

Last week, the pressure in our household (which was gradually mounting for weeks) hit an all-time high. I'm sure the cool temperatures and gray skies (a scary forewarning of the long winter to come) were a big motivator, but at a certain point we were all sucked into the negative energy!

Desperate to get back on track (in a "practice what you preach" sort of way), I made the time to attend a meditation class at Acenda Yoga on Sunday afternoon. For one hour, I sat completely still. I consciously pushed away the swirling thoughts, the automatic feelings and the internal list-making and tapped into my spiritual side.

After months of neglect, meditation did not come naturally to me (as it once had). I had to fight the urge to shift my weight and follow the train of stressful thoughts, but I came away from the experience feeling better than I have in months (ok, my left leg was a little numb, but that went away quickly)!

It's not that I don't realize how many physical and emotional problems stem from stress, but counteracting the nagging worries, to-do lists, time pressures and financial concerns is enough to occupy my mind 24/7. Without my blog (http://writeonjana.com) and my intentional focus on the concept of margin (the space between yourself and your limits), I wouldn't think twice about feeling frazzled.

Thankfully, I am committed to regaining some sort of emotional balance and recognize pretty quickly when I am in over my head... and I am not afraid of asking for help! My meditation instructor (Jennifer Lenhart) recommended a thought-provoking documentary that explores the topic of stress in greater depth...

After watching National Geographic's presentation of Stress: Portrait of a Killer, I was even more determined to break the cycle of continuous activity (which is essentially marinating my body in a bath of toxic chemicals).

While the documentary talked about severe damage (think unraveling DNA, permanent brain damage and atherosclerosis) from constant stress, this passage from The Food Intolerance Bible (which I happened to read the very same evening) confirmed that many of my own chronic health problems are likely stress-related as well:

"Are you busy all the time? This keeps your brain stimulating cortisol, a prime adrenal hormone that keeps the body in 'sympathetic' stress mode. In excess levels this not only lowers SIgA (a non-inflammatory immune protein) but also diminishes protein-turnover and healing, which are vital for the intestinal lining..." (88)

The answer is simple... margin. Create a "cushion" by Slowing Down to the Speed of Life (another phenomenal book, by the way).

The implementation is much more difficult!