Stress Is Good For You!
Devin Hastings
March 19, 2009
Headline: "Breathing causes stress." Wait, that´s a headline that I haven´t seen yet. However, I´m sure I´ll see it someday because it seems like everything causes stress and that´s bad because stress supposedly is bad for you.
But what if it wasn´t true? What if stress is sometimes good for you? What if we´ve been accidentally (?) hypnotized by the press to believe that stress is harmful?
You know, I once heard about a 21 day cure for depression (which is very stressful). Simply stop listening to, watching or reading the news for 21 days.
As simplistic as that advice is, it carries a powerful healing point: Whatever we focus on, we get more of. So the first teaching point of this article is that if you or someone you know is suffering from stress, find out how much of the news (which for the most part is not new) they are "ingesting" on a daily basis. If it´s a lot, get them to change it.
Some people say the news is good "food for thought" but I think watching the news is like eating brussel sprouts (which I find icky and nauseating). If you like brussel sprouts then think of some food that makes you ill and you´ll get my meaning.
I´ve heard others say that a person is not being realistic if they don´t watch the news. I´ve also noticed that the people who say that seem to be unhappy. I am all for being aware of what is going on in the world but not to the point that it makes me unaware of the multitude of good things that surround me every day.
(By the way, there is one news source that is excellent and uplifting. Go see it to feel better: www.GoodNewsNetwork.org.)
The main point here is that just like the Law of Gravity, the Law of Focus will predictably attract results. Whatever you focus on with emotional intensity, you will get more of. If the news distresses you and yet, you continue to watch it, you will inevitably start finding other "news" in your day to match your initial focus of "what´s wrong in the world."
The hypnotic teaching point here is that you can greatly help your client to feel less stress by helping them to focus on what will support and enhance their sense of well-being.
It seems to me that most people have somehow been taught to spend 80 percent of their time and energy on the problem and only 20 percent on the solution. I turn this ratio around for my clients and it makes a big difference in their lives.
Just a few moments ago I said that some stress can be helpful. In the book, "Psychology: Concepts and Connections", Spencer Rathus states that "some stress is healthy and necessary to keep us alert and occupied."
The problem however is this: "The public has gotten such a uniform message that stress is always harmful," says Janet DiPietro, a developmental psychologist at Johns Hopkins University. (1)
DiPietro goes on to say "And that's too bad, because most people do their best under mild to moderate stress." (2)
Judith Orloff, M.D., who is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA states that short-term stress can energize us and that long-term stress can motivate us to do better at jobs that are important to us. (See her website www.drjudithorloff.com/ for more information and free videos.)
By the way, can you imagine repeating her words, in some way, to your client who is in trance? I wonder what kind of positive effect those suggestions would have? ("A doctor says that people do their best under mild to moderate stress.")
Interestingly, it appears that sometimes even severe stress may have some positive effects because there is a newly defined phenomenon known as "Post-Traumatic Growth".
I think every person reading this article knows of someone who underwent a severely stressful event who ultimately benefited from it. So, despite the fact that there is scientific proof that stress can be bad, this may not be the complete story on stress.
But not everybody has learned how to bounce back and profit from tough times and so they are more susceptible to the ill-effects of stress. In the case of those not yet educated on how to deal with stress, there are very real concerns such as G.A.S. (No snickering while you´re reading this!)
In case you´re wondering what G.A.S. is, it is a syndrome first discovered by psychologist Hans Selye. He noticed that for some people, prolonged and excessive stress can lead to infection, illness, disease and death and so he named this condition General Adaptation Syndrome (G.A.S.).
Selye noted that there are three stages of G.A.S. They are Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion. Following is a brief explanation of each stage of G.A.S.
Alarm
This stage is essentially the initiation of the "fight of flight" response which prepares the body for life-threatening situations.
Normal body activities such as digestive and immune functions are initially reduced or nearly shut down in order to supply resources to more immediate muscular and emotional needs.
Resistance
Now, if we're under a constant state of alarm, we are in essence living in constant state of stress. At this point we start becoming used to these stress levels.
The funny thing about this stage is that our body and immune system are now becoming more now more resistant to stress and disease.
However, this phase requires abnormally high levels of emotional and physical resources. It is this heavy usage of resources that sets the stage for the next phase: Exhaustion.
Exhaustion
Eventually reality (?) kicks in and our bodies give up trying to maintain a high level of stress resistance. Parts of the body literally start to break down and we become very unwell.
But this doesn´t have to be the case every time someone is under extended stress. In my book,"21st Century Medicine: Clinical Evidence for the Healing Power of the Mind",
I detail over 100 clinically documented cases of the power of the mind helping or curing over 50 different serious conditions.
The point here is that even when a person has become physically affected by G.A.S. (no laughing), there are still viable options for healing that you can provide despite what currently accepted research says.
You see, there´s a problem with stress research so far: there is not any that reliably accounts for the differences in how individuals process stress. How is it that 2 people can experience the same stress and deal with it in 2 completely different ways?
Did you hear the one about the two hypnotists who graduated from the same class? They met up 8 years later and one was happy and bouncy and the other weary and sad. The sad one asks the happy one: "How do you do it? How can you stay so happy after listening to so many people´s problems day in and day out?" And the happy one says: "Who listens?"
The point is this: any person can be hypnotically coached to change their perspective so that they are significantly less stressed out by events/people/things in their lives.
Here is a short script you can use as it is written or that you can embellish according to your client´s language. By the way, if you are dealing with a diabetic, I suggest a slightly different metaphor.
Life Isn´t Always What It Seems…..
A little boy is telling his Grandma the news from his day. He is talking about how everything is going wrong. Teachers being hard, family problems at home, friends with severe health problems, how a bully picked on him and how hard the school work is lately.
Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack,
which of course, he does.
"Here, have some cooking oil."
"Yuck" says the boy.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Grandma!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Grandma, those are all yucky!"
To which Grandma replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!"
Life works the same way. Many times we wonder why some Life Events are so distasteful.
However, there is a Universal Intelligence in your unconscious mind that can put all these things in together in such a way that they ultimately combine to make life sweeter and more satisfying.
Remember, stressed is just desserts spelled backwards.
END OF SCRIPT
Finally, let me ´stress´ something that your unconscious will understand far more intimately than your conscious mind can: In order for some things to make sense, they cannot make sense. (This could be a hypnotic suggestion for your client, no?)
Speaking of things that just don´t make sense, think of being a parent: How stressful is it? If you are one, you know.
Now, read the following quote and then close your eyes for a few moments and see the feeling of the beautiful paradox of what it means in a deep way:
"As a parent, I have learned that one of the most peaceful feelings in the world is having a child fall asleep in your arms."
Fall asleep with yourself in your arms.
Warm regards,
Devin
"Pray for a miracle sailor but keeping rowing for the shore. Now..…!"
REFERENCES:
(1) NEWSWEEK; Who Says Stress Is Bad For You? Feb 23, 2009 issue.
(2) Ibid
But what if it wasn´t true? What if stress is sometimes good for you? What if we´ve been accidentally (?) hypnotized by the press to believe that stress is harmful?
You know, I once heard about a 21 day cure for depression (which is very stressful). Simply stop listening to, watching or reading the news for 21 days.
As simplistic as that advice is, it carries a powerful healing point: Whatever we focus on, we get more of. So the first teaching point of this article is that if you or someone you know is suffering from stress, find out how much of the news (which for the most part is not new) they are "ingesting" on a daily basis. If it´s a lot, get them to change it.
Some people say the news is good "food for thought" but I think watching the news is like eating brussel sprouts (which I find icky and nauseating). If you like brussel sprouts then think of some food that makes you ill and you´ll get my meaning.
I´ve heard others say that a person is not being realistic if they don´t watch the news. I´ve also noticed that the people who say that seem to be unhappy. I am all for being aware of what is going on in the world but not to the point that it makes me unaware of the multitude of good things that surround me every day.
(By the way, there is one news source that is excellent and uplifting. Go see it to feel better: www.GoodNewsNetwork.org.)
The main point here is that just like the Law of Gravity, the Law of Focus will predictably attract results. Whatever you focus on with emotional intensity, you will get more of. If the news distresses you and yet, you continue to watch it, you will inevitably start finding other "news" in your day to match your initial focus of "what´s wrong in the world."
The hypnotic teaching point here is that you can greatly help your client to feel less stress by helping them to focus on what will support and enhance their sense of well-being.
It seems to me that most people have somehow been taught to spend 80 percent of their time and energy on the problem and only 20 percent on the solution. I turn this ratio around for my clients and it makes a big difference in their lives.
Just a few moments ago I said that some stress can be helpful. In the book, "Psychology: Concepts and Connections", Spencer Rathus states that "some stress is healthy and necessary to keep us alert and occupied."
The problem however is this: "The public has gotten such a uniform message that stress is always harmful," says Janet DiPietro, a developmental psychologist at Johns Hopkins University. (1)
DiPietro goes on to say "And that's too bad, because most people do their best under mild to moderate stress." (2)
Judith Orloff, M.D., who is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA states that short-term stress can energize us and that long-term stress can motivate us to do better at jobs that are important to us. (See her website www.drjudithorloff.com/ for more information and free videos.)
By the way, can you imagine repeating her words, in some way, to your client who is in trance? I wonder what kind of positive effect those suggestions would have? ("A doctor says that people do their best under mild to moderate stress.")
Interestingly, it appears that sometimes even severe stress may have some positive effects because there is a newly defined phenomenon known as "Post-Traumatic Growth".
I think every person reading this article knows of someone who underwent a severely stressful event who ultimately benefited from it. So, despite the fact that there is scientific proof that stress can be bad, this may not be the complete story on stress.
But not everybody has learned how to bounce back and profit from tough times and so they are more susceptible to the ill-effects of stress. In the case of those not yet educated on how to deal with stress, there are very real concerns such as G.A.S. (No snickering while you´re reading this!)
In case you´re wondering what G.A.S. is, it is a syndrome first discovered by psychologist Hans Selye. He noticed that for some people, prolonged and excessive stress can lead to infection, illness, disease and death and so he named this condition General Adaptation Syndrome (G.A.S.).
Selye noted that there are three stages of G.A.S. They are Alarm, Resistance and Exhaustion. Following is a brief explanation of each stage of G.A.S.
Alarm
This stage is essentially the initiation of the "fight of flight" response which prepares the body for life-threatening situations.
Normal body activities such as digestive and immune functions are initially reduced or nearly shut down in order to supply resources to more immediate muscular and emotional needs.
Resistance
Now, if we're under a constant state of alarm, we are in essence living in constant state of stress. At this point we start becoming used to these stress levels.
The funny thing about this stage is that our body and immune system are now becoming more now more resistant to stress and disease.
However, this phase requires abnormally high levels of emotional and physical resources. It is this heavy usage of resources that sets the stage for the next phase: Exhaustion.
Exhaustion
Eventually reality (?) kicks in and our bodies give up trying to maintain a high level of stress resistance. Parts of the body literally start to break down and we become very unwell.
But this doesn´t have to be the case every time someone is under extended stress. In my book,"21st Century Medicine: Clinical Evidence for the Healing Power of the Mind",
I detail over 100 clinically documented cases of the power of the mind helping or curing over 50 different serious conditions.
The point here is that even when a person has become physically affected by G.A.S. (no laughing), there are still viable options for healing that you can provide despite what currently accepted research says.
You see, there´s a problem with stress research so far: there is not any that reliably accounts for the differences in how individuals process stress. How is it that 2 people can experience the same stress and deal with it in 2 completely different ways?
Did you hear the one about the two hypnotists who graduated from the same class? They met up 8 years later and one was happy and bouncy and the other weary and sad. The sad one asks the happy one: "How do you do it? How can you stay so happy after listening to so many people´s problems day in and day out?" And the happy one says: "Who listens?"
The point is this: any person can be hypnotically coached to change their perspective so that they are significantly less stressed out by events/people/things in their lives.
Here is a short script you can use as it is written or that you can embellish according to your client´s language. By the way, if you are dealing with a diabetic, I suggest a slightly different metaphor.
Life Isn´t Always What It Seems…..
A little boy is telling his Grandma the news from his day. He is talking about how everything is going wrong. Teachers being hard, family problems at home, friends with severe health problems, how a bully picked on him and how hard the school work is lately.
Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack,
which of course, he does.
"Here, have some cooking oil."
"Yuck" says the boy.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Grandma!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Grandma, those are all yucky!"
To which Grandma replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!"
Life works the same way. Many times we wonder why some Life Events are so distasteful.
However, there is a Universal Intelligence in your unconscious mind that can put all these things in together in such a way that they ultimately combine to make life sweeter and more satisfying.
Remember, stressed is just desserts spelled backwards.
END OF SCRIPT
Finally, let me ´stress´ something that your unconscious will understand far more intimately than your conscious mind can: In order for some things to make sense, they cannot make sense. (This could be a hypnotic suggestion for your client, no?)
Speaking of things that just don´t make sense, think of being a parent: How stressful is it? If you are one, you know.
Now, read the following quote and then close your eyes for a few moments and see the feeling of the beautiful paradox of what it means in a deep way:
"As a parent, I have learned that one of the most peaceful feelings in the world is having a child fall asleep in your arms."
Fall asleep with yourself in your arms.
Warm regards,
Devin
"Pray for a miracle sailor but keeping rowing for the shore. Now..…!"
REFERENCES:
(1) NEWSWEEK; Who Says Stress Is Bad For You? Feb 23, 2009 issue.
(2) Ibid