On Not Being Stressed Out

The one thing that virtually all of us have in common is the stress of living in this modern age.  So much has changed for my generation since we first enjoyed those days of youth culture when hairstyle and rock music seemed like the most important things in the world.  But, like all generations before us and to come, we had to grow up and take on the responsibilities of raising a family, making a living and figuring out their place in this big complicated world.

Stress comes from a lot of sources.  Obviously, we get it from work.  We think of the workplace as a source of stress because it is a place where making a living is paramount and there are daily demands, deadlines and schedules to be met.  In addition, most of us have to deal with at least some difficult people during our workdays, which only compounds the stress.

But stresses don’t end when we walk out of our workplace.  Traffic itself can be a stress.  Then the joys of raising children and marriage can also bring some trials with them as well.  It is common to return home from a difficult day only to face serious problems at home.  In this situation, it seems that the stress and anxiety just keep mounting up. 

This is not the adult life most of us envisioned in our youth. We were idealistic and the world was our oyster.  But nobody told us that the reason the oyster is so beautiful is that it creates stress on the clam who copes with it by covering it with the smooth oyster material.  So, stress can build us up and make something beautiful.  But it can also tear us down and lead to serious medical and mental problems if we don’t develop some coping techniques to deal with it. 

Some good coping mechanisms that many baby boomers have found helpful to defray the stress in their lives include…

· Get away from it.  To put the cares of the world in perspective, we have to get away from them for a while.  If nothing else, just soaking in a hot bathtub with a good magazine and some happy music can wash away the cares of the world and let them swirl down the drain with the bubbles.  But look for chances to relax and put those worries aside for a little bit.  It will help you calm your mind, rest your system and be ready to deal with those issues without so much anxiety, which doesn’t do anybody any good.

· Partner with your family.  Your spouse and children don’t want to see you stressed out.  But sometimes they don’t know how much they add to the problems when they throw the problems of the day at you as soon as you walk through the door.  It’s good for them to see the world through your eyes.  But remember that they are stressed with school or issues of work and relationships too.  So, partner together to have a little time to just be family and love away that anxiety.  Everybody will be better for it.

· Take time for health.  Its strange but our diet and rest are the things we need the most to cope with stress and yet those are the areas of life that are most damaged if we let stress wear us down.  So, go back to basics and make sure you get good meals, good rest and take care of yourself.  It will make you a better worker and stronger for your family as well.

Seeing stress as a serious enemy to your lifestyle above and beyond the causes of stress is a big step forward to not letting this enemy continue to damage your ability to be a good worker and family member.  But if you act to keep stress from dominating your life, you are doing something very good for yourself and making yourself more able to attack problems and solve them with the creativity and intelligence people know you for.