Release Stress

(Direct Download: 20 minute mp3 audio program)

You know, it's funny when I look back over the past decade and realize that one of the first physical differences I noticed shortly after beginning my own practice of personal development was the way that I was able to manage stress.

In our daily lives, there are so many stressful moments. Almost everyone is rushing around trying to do this important thing or be in time for that event. The adrenaline is rushing and most people get into the habit of slamming back cups of coffee or energy drinks just to keep going. Before this changed for me, I was running around like a pressure cooker. Seriously! If I had to give a presentation, I had a ton of nervous energy and I know it's kind of gross, but I would always sweat a lot when I was nervous. Oddly enough, I was almost always nervous and I wasn't even aware of feeling nervous until I think back about all those different times...

Then, at night I wasn't able to sleep. All the events and experiences from that day were rushing through my mind and I would toss and turn; waking up the next morning completely unrested.

Are you familiar with computers? Probably somewhat, but I'll share this analogy anyway. You know how you can be working on an application on your computer - let's say you're checking your email with a specific program. Well, in the background on your computer's memory, there are likely anywhere between 5 and 50 other applications that are also running. If you have an older computer, you've probably experienced times when programs don't run as quickly because most of the memory available is being used.

Well, not to equate the human being with a computer - I think we are far more complex than that, but just consider the similarities. Many people experience daily life in your variation of this: The alarm goes off at what seems like an ungodly hour. You stumble to a workout or directly to the coffee pot. Then you rush to get ready for work or get others ready for their day. It slows down a little bit, yet you're racing ever faster inside, as you hurry to wait in traffic - and of course, there is that jerk who cuts you off while driving and gives you the international "I'm #1" signal. Finally you arrive and your day starts - then you have meetings, deadlines, projects due, clients and customers. [Coffee] break. Maybe you talk to a loved one or a friend. Then you remember you have an appointment after work and it conflicts with another obligation. Oh, did you remember to pay that bill... And, a friend just ended a relationship, lost a client or is unhappy with the new quota and has to tell you all about it... When your day does finally run out of time, how do you slow down on the inside?

There are a million variations of this and none is exactly like yours. But, you get the point. Stress is part of life. I came up with the ideas for this program after having read a book about trauma a couple of years ago. According to the author's research, he had determined that many mammals - especially those that play dead - have a way of doing a full nervous system flush of the trauma. An animal like a deer, when attacked by a predator, immediately goes limp and into a state of shock. If the animal is left to live, eventually it will regain consciousness, stumble to standing, and shake itself before walking away unfazed. The author also pointed out that humans don't have an innate way of doing this. In fact, a human being is seemingly one of the only mammals that will actually push itself into stressful situations until there is a mental, physical or emotional breakdown...

Now I'm not a scientist or medical doctor, but I know of people who push themselves hard - I might be one of those people myself. And, I have also realized the importance of hitting the "restart" button on my mind, body and emotions. We all have goals in life that are important to us and if we don't routinely take time-out's for ourselves, then we are actually limiting the successful achievement of our goals by being over stressed or under-rested. This 20 minute program is designed to create an environment in which you can allow any stressful situation to just fade away. Nearly every person experiences times when things seem too overwhelming, and often we don't take the time needed to allow our nervous system the downtime it needs to recharge and heal. Think of every time your heart races or you feel stressed out in the average day. If it's not the commute to work or school, it is arriving someplace important on time, presenting your ideas, or being completely present while a relationship is changing. Today, more than ever, there are so many things happening in our lives.