A lecturer, explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”  Answers were called out ranging from 8 oz.  to 20 oz.  

The lecturer smiled and replied that the actual weight did not matter. What actually mattered was how long a person tried to hold the glass of water.

• If you hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem.
• If you hold it for an hour, your arm will begin to ache. 
• If you hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance!
• In each case, the weight is the same; but the longer you hold it, the heavier it becomes.

It’s the same with stress and managing it. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.

So, before you return home tonight or at the end of your workday, put the burden of work, projects, activities or finances down. Don't carry them home. You can pick them up tomorrow.

We have some excellent stress management strategies.  Give us a call if you’d like to try them.

To Your Vitality!