It's a Celebration

Peaceful. Today felt peaceful. The only thing missing from my life these days is my longtime companion, Stress. In the past, (S)he was a constant companion. Weekends were my sanctuary time; however, Stress was hanging out with me 24/7.

I would have friends over for a visit, Stress would stay in the background. Rarely, I hope, did Stress manage to interfere with my other relationships. In hindsight, I may have been fooling myself. Like me, Stress was pretty tenacious. Hanging on despite a glass of wine or meditation. Mediation was the best at reminding Stress it was time for her to go home to her own place. Still, one can only meditate so long during a workday. Stress found me welcoming as I was lousy at setting boundaries.

Still, I have no regrets. Someone had to step up and keep Stress company. And I had fun with Stress at times. There are articles on the benefits of having Stress in your life. Here is a quick link:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_surprising_benefits_of_stress#:~:text=Manageable%20stress%20increases%20alertness%20and,an%20adaptive%20point%20of%20view.

Oh wait, it’s about Moderate Stress. Stress’ sibling?

Hmmm. I think I have met Moderate Stress on numerous occasions.

A quote from the above link:

People who feel resilient and confident that they can manage stress are much less likely to be overwhelmed by it—and more likely to have a healthy response—than people who think of stress as bad. Another factor is control. Stress is much less likely to be harmful if people have some control over the situation. A tight deadline is stressful but manageable if you have the ability to meet it. If not, if you feel helpless, the stress is more likely to be harmful. 

According to the following article there are seven (7) benefits to Moderate Stress.

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/7-surprising-ways-some-stress-actually-good-for-you

The benefits:

• Stress improves brain performance.
• It helps protect you from getting sick.
• You become more resilient.
• Stress improves your memory.
• Stress helps you focus and improves learning.
• Stress during pregnancy can make your kids smarter.
• Moderate stress is good for your mental health.

Reading these articles gave me hope that my companion, Stress, may not have been the worst friend to have hanging around. I did not feel helpless with Stress. In fact, it was only the absence of Stress that made me aware Stress had been around so much.

Here’s the thing. I don’t miss Stress, today. I am ready though if (s)he shows up anytime soon. We are going to have a celebration to make her feel welcomed… and there will be a time limit on the party.