Today, during practice 87 with kman’s crazies, Kramer had us begin by writing about our biggest stressor at the moment. Good choice, Kramer. We learned a lot about our stressors and the stressors of our teammates. And, we learned our reaction to stressors creates a brain bath of sorts up in our cranium. Sometimes these chemicals can overwhelm us; sometimes they energize. Either way, chemical baths carry an excise tax of sorts.
Let me briefly explain. Whenever you engage your sympathetic nervous system and jolt your muscles with adrenaline you, temporarily, shut down your parasympathetic one. This is the one that manages your immune system and fights to keep you healthy and disease free. But not when it’s over-ruled by your “fight of flight” sympathetic one. Who cares if you fight off that long term illness, when a crazy contractor is preparing to run you down!
Today, our modern lifestyle, has the average office worker “shooting up” with adrenaline and a complex chemical bath every time the irate boss calls, a customer fires him, he’s competing for a promotion, and hundreds of other ways. This combo comes at a high price…
On your BODY.
Instead of being run down by a crazy contractor, most of us are simply “RUN down.” According to Hans Selye, the guy that actually invented the term stress, this is serious stuff. He said, “My research appears to indicate that humans have only a limited supply of deep adaptive energy. Most of the energy expended in the stress response can be recovered through rest. But a certain amount of this energy resource may be irretrievably lost. For this reason, it is important to reserve this adaptive energy for those occasions where the issues are significant and not to squander it on trivial conflicts.” Yikes.
How well are you managing your stressors?
Are you aware when your adrenaline kicks in and why?
Are you aware of some of ANGER triggers?
Are you writing your plan for hitting your stressors head on?
Are you slowing down, reflecting, and writing after you’ve calmed down?
Are you taking three deep breathes through your nose and exhaling through your mouth when your body is early in the stress response?
Are you learning about your brain, your hardwiring, your tendencies, and learning how to productively lean into them?
Are you feeling your chest tighten as you keep reading these questions, my friend?
If you want some help answering them ask one of your truth tellers, your best friends, and your spouse. Ask them to “tell me more” and write what you hear. Stressors are never going away. Your response, however, can make you think otherwise – or is it feel.
Either way, you’re good. You’re good, right…
BUILT TO LEAD 