Why Is Living a Stress-Free Life Impossible?
This week one of our graduate Stress Management Facilitators Linn sent me an article from the December 26th 2017edition of Forbes magazine. She said, “you’ll love this John!”
The reason she said,“you’ll love this John!” is that during her training and also after attending numerous Building Emotional Resilience Training workshops she had heard me say, “ if you want to live a stress-free life, be prepared to die”.
Dr Hans Selye the scientist, endocrinologist and the ‘father of stress… Continue reading
A Physical Stress Release
Recently I was having a laugh with a friend who shared with me that a Pinata bursting experience is a part of their family culture in celebrating birthdays. The Pinata is not just for the kids she shared with me, it’s also for the adults, who just love the experience of ‘whacking’ the colourful holder filed with all sorts of goodies.
It was my friends 40th birthday, and her Pinata experience was sheer joy for her as she celebrated… Continue reading
The Power of Endorphins
The word endorphin comes from the words “endogenous,” meaning from within the body, and “morphine,” which is an opiate pain reliever. Hence, endorphins were so named because they are natural pain relievers. These neurochemicals released by your body can give you a natural ‘high’.
They are a peptide and produced by the central nervous system and the pituitary gland. Since endorphins act on the opiate receptors in our brains, they reduce pain and boost pleasure, resulting in a feeling of… Continue reading
The Famed Runner’s High
Having spent a life time enjoying the joy of running or a good walking challenge, the eustress (good stress) that is generated is a major part of my daily personal stress management plan and personal well being program.
The science behind what physical activity does for our bodies has been heavily weighted around the release of endorphins which are a member of the ‘Happy Hormone’ family. That fleeting sense of euphoria and calm that many people report experiencing after exercise… Continue reading
The Joy of “Forest Bathing”
As a way of de-stressing, many people feel an intrinsic call to spend time in nature, and this makes good sense. Our brain and body are in the main hard-wired to connect with the laws of nature. The changing of the seasons, the rise and setting of the sun are natural processes that our DNA is programmed to respond to, not with the 24/7 hectic work schedules many people in today’s world live by.
A walk in the forest or… Continue reading
The Wattle Walk
September 1st is Wattle Day in Australia and it ushers in the arrival of spring. In the sub-tropical state of Queensland where we live, it comes earlier. Wattle is a shade tree and our nations national floral emblem.
Wattle, an Acacia comes in over 1,000 varieties with early blooming to late blooming trees and can be loaded with bright yellow flowers, which can have a very strong perfume. The thin branches can eventually bend and touch the ground under… Continue reading
Eustress and Pokémon Go
Wow… what a wonder week for Pokémon Go players in so many places around the world.
Last week I reported that my quiet evening walk at dusk around our local lake saw the car parks full and mobs of normally ‘stay at homes’ out and about in the winter fresh air chasing Pokémon. I was stunned that I counted 152 individual players as I circumnavigated the lake.
As the Glenn Frey song goes … ‘the heat is on’. Tonight’s… Continue reading
The Closest Thing We Have to a Wonder Drug
Dr Thomas Frieden, Director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US has stated, “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug is walking”.
One of the keys to good health is to engage in Eustress or good stress every day and incorporating a walk into your daily routine enhances your health.
The Harvard Healthbeat states… “Walking for 2.5 hours a week — that’s just 21 minutes a day — can cut your risk of heart… Continue reading
The Joy of Stress
I have just arrived home after my seventy five minute seven kilometre plus walk up and over Brisbane’s Mount Coot-tha. There are many walking tracks in the Mount Coot-tha Bush Reserve. The tracks vary in difficulty, with most involving some solid uphill sections. The tracks here are often used by hikers training to walk the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea as the terrain and climate are considered similar.
Three days a weeks I walk the mountain usually with a… Continue reading
Are You Stressed at the Start of Your Day?
A good friend from Canada Dr Tom Preston sent me his weekly newsletter last night on the topic of taking control of procrastination in your life. He started his article by stating…
“It’s so easy to sleep with a smartphone next to my bed. I can set 5 alarms to go off anytime between 4AM and 6AM just in case my body really feels like it needs more rest. Ever said that to yourself?
If I don’t feel like… Continue reading
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