A lecturer explained stress management to an audience. He raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranging from 8oz. to 24 oz.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight does not matter, it depends on how long you try to hold it.”
He continued, “If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
“And that’s the way it is with stress management. 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 awhile and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”
“So, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick up tomorrow, whatever burdens you’re carrying now. Put them down for a moment if you can. “
He further exhorted, “Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until you’ve rested awhile.”
Are you surprised at the simplification of the message; at its wisdom? We all know what our burdens are, even while we are dragging them along like the overstuffed suitcase that began as a lightweight backpack. Like hoarders, we habitually add more than we subtract from the pile and in doing so, do not give ourselves the opportunity to set down that suitcase and unpack, examine the contents, and lighten the load. Relief from the weight, even short-term, provides the breathing room for even further evaluation.
- What’s in your suitcase?
- How important is it?
- What are you willing to remove?
- Share your process/success with us
© 2012 Maureen Weisner
Those that do seek anxiety relief tend to go to physicians at a moment when they are truly
desperate and fragile. This realization may hit you at the most uncomfortable of moments--when you are
trying to fall asleep at night, or trying to write that important
work memo, or simply hoping to relax on the beach.
Posted by: charles linden | February 05, 2013 at 12:00 AM
Well said, and we have all had unexpectedly "inconvenient" feelings of anxiety at moments when all we wanted was peace of mind. Meditation works for some people as does yoga or writing or medication or a combination found through the process of personal discovery. It would be so much easier if there was one formula that worked.
Posted by: Maureen Weisner | February 08, 2013 at 07:37 PM