Image by xeeliz via Flickr
Written by Karen D. Swim
Stress. Sometimes the mere mention of the word can shoot your blood pressure and heart rate up a few points. However, stress can be good, bad or neutral. The American Institute of Stress has this to say about stress:
“Increased stress increases productivity – up to a point, after which things rapidly deteriorate, and that level also differs for each of us. It’s much like the stress or tension on a violin string. Not enough produces a dull raspy sound and too much an irritating screech or snaps the string – but just the correct degree of stress creates a beautiful tone.
Similarly, we all have to find the right amount of stress that permits us to make pleasant music in our daily lives. You can learn how to utilize and transform stress so that it will make you more productive and less self-destructive.” -Paul J. Rosch, M.D., F.A.C.P., President, The American Institute of Stress
Now, if you’re like me most often you associate stress with the “irritating screech” and not a beautiful tone. I liked the idea of a beautiful tone and it got me thinking about good and bad stress in my own life.
When my husband was diagnosed with cancer, stress became part of the package. Like most, I handled most days just fine but there were moments – making coffee but forgetting to put the coffee pot on the burner, bursting into tears at the pharmacy babbling about Chinese food and sleep and scooping fish into a bucket after an aquarium leak – that definitely fall into the irritating SCREECH category. In the heat of the moment my body felt like a string ready to snap. However, once the string snapped, the tension dissolved.
In fact, as my husband looked on in befuddlement after the coffee incident, I laughed. He really thought I was perfect. Poor thing it was quite a revelation to discover he was wrong! The falling apart at the pharmacy though it stunned those who looked on helped me to breathe again. From that point on, I scheduled six minute mini-breakdowns to, you know keep the strings loose.
Bad stress has taught me that we cannot entirely avoid stress in life but we can manage it. By acknowledging the circumstances that are causing stress and allowing ourselves to break down, ask for help, accept the prayers that are offered, we can tone the screeching down to a hum.
Have you ever anxiously anticipated a happy event like walking down the aisle, a child graduating from college, or maybe a visit from an old friend? Do you remember the tingly, ball of energy that encompassed your body? You may have been on edge, but in a good way. Guess what? Yep, you got it that was good stress! Good stress often fires me up and helps me to get projects done or fuels new ideas for business. My body and mind exert just the right amount of force to create beautiful music.
In the world today, there are plenty of external forces that could push us into the red alarm zone of stress. We have little control over many of those forces but we can reduce the tension on our strings. For starters, we can can tune out the incessant negativity. We can also balance the harmony with good vibes from other sources. Take a walk, call a friend, turn off the news, play with the cat or dog, anything to add sweet sounds to the orchestra of your life. I rather like the idea of beautiful music and plan to focus on adjusting my own tension levels so that my stress is productive rather than destructive.
This post is an entry for the Middle Zone Musings Group Writing Project, What I Learned From Stress. So, what about you, what have you learned from stress? Feel free to contribute an entry to the group writing project (you have until midnight October 12th) or offer your thoughts in the comment box below. Hey, and if you have any happy thoughts to you know balance the stress, feel free to share. 🙂
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Melissa Donovan says
Ah, good stress / bad stress. I always think of a little pressure as good stress – working under deadline for example. Bad stress is all about worry, for me anyway. Bad stress is almost always the product of the big bad what-if monster. If only I could tame that beast!
Melissa Donovans last blog post..Novels, Blogs, and Poetry – Oh My!
Mother Earth says
It’s when I wash my face with the shampoo that I take my pause, and take a much longer than necessary shower if needed! If anything to get all that shampoo off my face!
Jean Browman--Transforming Stress says
That’s a great analogy. I’m more technically minded and think in terms of the optimizing stress graph: http://stresstopower.com/blog/optimizing-stress/
Karen Putz says
Regularly scheduled breakdowns– I like that!
It’s true that we do need to let out the stress in whatever way possible– for holding it in just makes everything worse.
May you have many days of good stress and beautiful music!
Alina Popescu says
Thank you Karen, I’m sending plenty of hugs right back at you!
Alina Popescus last blog post..Romania Has a Big Marketing and PR Problem
Karen Swim says
Hi Alina! Your words really made me grateful. I hope that by sharing my own experiences it helps someone else. I am sorry for you and your mom. Sending you hugs!
Karen Swim says
Ulla, I sometimes forget that English is not your first language because you always express yourself so beautifully! Your words truly touch my heart. Thank you so much for the comments and best wishes for me and my Dad. I completely feel the warmth across the miles. Thank you so much!
Karen Swim says
Robert, thank you so much they are felt! Please hug Mrs. MZM for me. 🙂
Alina Popescu says
Hi Karen! Thank you so much for this beautiful entry. Reading your post made me think of and better understand my mom’s reactions from when my step dad was diagnosed with cancer. I wasn’t that young, but neither old enough to understand everything and I guess I never stopped to reanalyze everything later on.
Alina Popescus last blog post..Romania Has a Big Marketing and PR Problem
Ulla Hennig says
Karen,
I am sending my best wishes to you and your dad!
I very much liked your article. Balancing” the harmony with good vibes from other sources” – what an excellent idea! And I think you are doing a great job just being one of those “other sources” – at least for me. Thanks for sending good vibes over the blogosphere!
Ulla Hennigs last blog post..Fallen Leaves
Robert Hruzek says
Mrs. MZM’s prayers and mine are with you and your dad, Karen!
Karen Swim says
I want to thank you all for your heartwarming comments. Please forgive my delay in responding. Well, you write about stress and a new stressor appears. My Dad had a stroke. He is okay, but will be hospitalized for a week. The phrase when it rains…comes to mind but in this too I am so thankful that there is no lasting damage. My father though scolded by the doctors still joked with them and brought humor to the situation. Now on to those responses!
@Joanna, I loved your post on stress and learned much from it. I imagined you at your old job and felt the “hum” that comes with that kind of stress. I found myself smiling and anxiously waiting to see what was next! LOL! You my dear friend are a treasure too. So glad the cyberhighway brought us on the same road!
@Rebecca, Yes!!! Stressful people can be a drain! Hey, life throws us enough plates to balance and we need people who will cheer us on not make us drop them!
@Brad, thank you so much Brad! I agree with you negative people + stress is a volatile mix. We can’t avoid every bad situation but we can choose how to respond.
@Evelyn, I appreciate those words and always find your posts to be a ray of light. Thank you Evelyn for really reaching out to make a difference in the lives of others.
@Robert, your words brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Robert. I must give all the credit, however to God. Without Him, I am a wimpy, sniveling idiot! I have simply learned to hang on for dear life and allow grace and mercy to see me through. 🙂
@Lillie, bless you dear Lillie. You too truly have a beautiful spirit and I smile each time I read a comment from someone acknowledging your heart and grace. I highly recommend the 6 minute breakdowns! Once you get rid of the tension you can just go on. 🙂
Thank you everyone for just being so incredibly loving and supportive! Big, giant hugs all around. 🙂
Karen Swims last blog post..Stress – Screeching Strings or Beautiful Music?
Lillie Ammann says
Karen,
Your beautiful spirit is a testament to how well you’ve handled the stress in your life. I love the idea of six-minute mini-breakdowns. So often we tend to hold everything inside us, but as you discovered, letting it out is a relief.
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Robert Hruzek says
Never thought of it as screeching strings, but wow, what a vivid picture it puts in my head! Thinking about it almost makes the hairs on my arms stand up.
Over the months I’ve come to learn of some of the trials you’ve been through. I have nothing but admiration for how, despite the stressful times you’ve seen, still that inner self shines out with such joy. And, it shows so vividly in your writing.
Ultimately we’re all the product of our experiences. You’ve handled yours well.
Glad to know you, Karen! You’re a hero!
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Crisis… and Restoration
Evelyn Lim says
I also admire you for your courage. You’ve been a great source of inspiration. Your writings spark hope! Keep up the good work!
Evelyn Lims last blog post..Heroes Of Healing: Neale Donald Walsch
Brad Shorr says
Karen, You have had more than your fair share of stress and you have handled it remarkable courage. For me stress always has a negative connotation, but after reading this I can see a positive side. Tuning out the negative, and distancing yourself from negative people, is the best way I know to relieve negative stress.
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Rebecca Smith says
I’m with you, Karen: “Good” stress fires me up and helps me to be my most productive. It’s better than a large cappuccino!
I deal with the “bad” stress by exercising, playing with my dog, and meditating. I’ve even gone so far as to cut stressful things (and people!) completely out of my life. It’s made me a much more healthy person and creative writer.
Joanna Young says
Karen, thank you once again for sharing so honestly and beautifully some of your life with your husband. Really you are just such a treasure.
I tried to write about the good side of stress too – the bit that can get us feeling more creative, exhilarated and firing on all cylinders. I think we get so used to trying to adapt to the bad stuff that we forget that some of that stress is also part of the mix that keeps us alive, and human.
Joanna
x
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