Creating Balance in a World of STRESS

iUniverse, Inc.

Contents

Preface.............................................................ixIntroduction........................................................xiChapter 1 What Causes Negative Thinking?............................1Chapter 2 Anxiety Disorders.........................................27Chapter 3 Verbal Abuse / Mental Stress..............................55Chapter 4 Bringing Our Bodies In Balance............................65Chapter 5 Balance Relationships / Home Life.........................85Chapter 6 Occupational Stress.......................................103Chapter 7 Perception and Positive Thinking..........................121Chapter 8 Relaxation Techniques.....................................149Chapter 9 Morgan and Me Closing Positive Quotes.....................207Bibliography........................................................217About the Author....................................................221Index...............................................................223

Chapter One

Stress is one of the primary causes of negative thinking. We have the ability to make our life more satisfying and more fulfilling, by learning to live more in balance with our environment. We can eliminate the feelings of being stressed, overwrought, uptight, and anxious and replace these with stress-free, peaceful, calm, and tranquil. I wanted to master this and I know you do also. So let's get started on our journey of soul searching and removing the negative from your life and replace this with the positive.

Everyone experiences stress in their lives. When stress accumulates or becomes chronic it begins to take its toll on both your mental, as well as your physical health. Sometimes, you are placed in a stressful environment that can be manipulated to reduce the effects of stress, such as a work environment. Other stressors may have been brought forward from your past experiences and inadvertently placed in your present day circumstances. Any type of stress that disrupts your life is a stress that needs to be addressed and eliminated.

Traumatic experiences, verbal or physical abuse, mental stress, and psychological disorders such as bipolar disease, phobias, or obsessive compulsive disorder are examples of events and mental disturbances that intensify stress levels. The consequences of these major life alterations are a build up of insecurities and negative impressions that have left an imprint in the mind of the victim. These consequences then multiply as the fears, past experiences, and imagination that create a negative perception in many other areas of your life. Self esteem is low, cultivating trust in another individual is difficult, and a feeling of helplessness causes uncertainty when having to make decisions.

Your overall perception of life becomes a place where doom is always just round the corner. Anxiety is high and daily stressors, or life changes generate tension in your mind and body that seem to be unbearable at times. To conquer these negative reactions we must first understand how and why they control us.

Let's catch a glimpse into Morgan's life as she perceives it.

Morgan stood in front of the sliding glass doors. There was a glimpse of something there, something on the other side. She placed the palm of her hand and fingertips on the glass. It was cold to the touch. There seemed to be a slight movement on the other side of the glass. As she looked closer, looked through the pane she caught a glimpse of a familiar face, the reflection of herself, a fragmented piece of her life that she no longer could connect with but was only a haunting memory of her past. She looked at the hand pressed against the glass on the other side. She wanted so desperately to reach through the pane and reunite with her other self. She felt so alone. The tears trickled down her cheeks but in her eyes there wasn't a reflection of pain it was a reflection of sadness, a stare into nowhere, her thoughts moving her through a maze. She was helplessly searching for a way out, a way to the other side.

This is one of the ways that Morgan views depression. Being one person separated by some force, each feeling and living in a different dimension. They move parallel with each other never able to reach out and connect as one, both moving as if being programmed and directed by an unseen entity. Every moment being weighted and heavy, every second stretching as if put into slow motion. Doing what needed to be done but not understanding why, accept that she had an obligation to continue the battle.

She tells me as I listen intently holding the phone piece that was fixed to my ear. Listening to her words of despair and feeling her heartbreak as she describes her loss. "I know there is another world beyond this window, one where people feel joy in their heart and look forward to what tomorrows will unfold and although I want to be part of that I somehow feel comfortable where I am. I'm alone but there is no confusion, it's safer, it's quiet."

Morgan is one of the lost souls frozen by fear. Anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disease, and/or phobias can compound each other and cause devastating results. Results that steal lives and separate families. Still, once these conditions are brought under control with the help of physicians and therapists, there are additional issues to be resolved. There will be built up fears to be banished, self esteem to be built, and balance to be reestablished in Morgan's life to untangle the thoughts and fears that created these multiple results. We'll check back in with Morgan a little later.

Even in an altered state our minds are powerful. We can fall prey to our minds imagination. This invisible entity takes a firm hold on our thoughts and emotions. The feelings become real yet you can vaguely sense a shadow of illusion, like Morgan viewing the shadow on the other side of the glass. Mental illnesses are widespread, some seek help and others stumble through their lives hoping tomorrow will hold the answers that finally give them peace and happiness.

Are you suffering from any abnormal thought patterns? Let's take a look at some forms of stress to see if you may be able to identify with any of these underlying symptoms or anxiety disorders.

Stress is a feeling experienced when a person perceives that the demands placed on them, surpasses their capability to reach a successful outcome. Loss of control in any situation can project the feelings of fear and this will escalate to stress. It is your perceptions and expectations that will determine the level, if any, of stress that you will experience. Stress in any form can produce negative behavior and thought patterns.

One of the most well known types of stress is acute stress. This type of stress activates what has been termed your "flight-or-fight response." This is your body's reaction to a threat, challenge, or scare. It is a reflex that signals to your body that you may be entering a threatening situation. Your body then automatically changes its chemistry to prepare to defend itself or flee from danger. The acute stress response is immediate, it's intense, and in certain circumstances, it can be thrilling as your body experiences an immediate rush of adrenalin...