Stress: Breaking the Cycle

Stress: sometimes it’s just overwhelming and gets the best of us. Sometimes, because of stress, we lose our perspective on life and are immobilized.

Before I say anything more about stress, it’s important to remember that stress is a valuable part of life. Often, stress is viewed as something bad. It isn’t. Stress is required for us to be alive. In order for me to walk, muscles in my legs and back are stressed in order to cause the movements needed for ambulation. That’s a good thing. In order for me to think critically about a topic, my mental capacity is stressed resulting in clarity of thought. That’s another good thing. In order for me to sit in silent meditation, my mind and spirit are stressed and disciplined. That’s also very good. Stress is not the enemy. But sometimes, in the fast pace of life, there’s too much stress for too long of a period of time and it overwhelms us.

There was a great deal happening for me at once. There was major transition at the university where I teach. A number of my students were being very demanding. There were family decisions to be made about moving to another part of the country. There were deadlines to meet with a new book publisher. There was particularly difficult winter weather. And to top it all off, every night between 3 and 4 AM, our 16 year old house cat decided that I needed to be woken up, so she’d howl outside my bedroom door. Yikes!

In the grand scheme of things, nothing was really wrong. But all of the factors taken together added up to more stress than I was able to comfortably handle. The signs of being over-stressed were present: distracting thoughts during meditation, irregular eating, restless sleep, and general irritability. Even though I recognized what was happening, I was having difficulty breaking the cycle. Perhaps it’s better to say that I didn’t break the cycle until I took deliberate steps to break the cycle.

With early spring showing signs of her presence in the Mid-West, I decided one Thursday evening that I needed to break my routine on Friday. I prioritized my work and decided what could be put off till the following week. I then made sure that loose ends were tied up before noon on Friday. That done, I went for a drive to a county park to spend the afternoon.

Most of the snow and ice was gone. The ground was muddy, but the sun was warm. Over the next several hours, I walked a four and a half mile loop around a lake, taking in the sun, the water, the ducks, and the geese. I didn’t do much for the afternoon except relax outdoors. I came home with muddy shoes and jeans. I was relaxed and tired. That evening, I sat and quietly read till I fell asleep. It was good sleep. The next day, I was once again able to pray and meditate with greater focus. With body less tired and mind more clear, I was able to nourish my spirit.

As I look at the people around me, colleagues, students, friends, and, yes, people I encounter in the grocery store or out and about doing errands, I recognize that many people are living with more stress than they can handle. In these difficult economic and political times, many things drain us and lead us to living life in ways that are out of balance. When they are left unchecked, the stresses of our lives seem to spiral out of control. It’s my experience that the solution is found by deliberately choosing to break the cycle. Breaking the cycle doesn’t require an expensive vacation or day at the spa. For me, an afternoon outdoors and walking for miles helped to clear my mind and tire my body so that I could sleep. With a clear mind and rested body, I was able to tend to my inner spirit.

Part of the lesson for me about my ability to respond to life’s stresses is that when they are overwhelming, I need to deliberately take action and break the cycle. For me, time alone in nature is a great way to break the cycle. Perhaps there are other things that work for you. Consider what they are. As always, you’re welcome to respond in a comment and share what’s helpful for you with other readers.