In my last column I dealt with nutrition and its role in the total health picture.  Once it is handled and the body is fuelled properly, other things need to be dealt with in order for your optimum health to be expressed.  The next facet of health that must be balanced in order to be as productive as possible is the management of stress.  Improper stress management can wreak havoc on a body and a spirit.

It is very important to realize that there are good stressors as well as bad ones in our lives, but both must be managed.   Some of the most stressful things in life are entering marriage, buying a new house, having a baby, starting a new job, and going on vacation.  Yes, going on vacation is a major life stressor.  Of course, the benefits of these types of stress should outweigh the detriment, but they are stressors nonetheless.  Other more obvious stressors are countless, so just fill in the blank but think of some creative ways to deal with them.  As I juggle the different wonderful things that are happening in my own life, I realize that it does take some effort to make everything come out all right in the end.

One way to deal with things that tend to bring on stress is to prioritize them.  I don’t mean make lists because what good is a list if you leave something off?  (smile)  I mean that you should ask yourself how important this stressor really is in the grand scheme of your life.  If it won’t matter five years from now, don’t worry about it.  Handle it the best way you can, and let it go.  I have learned a truly great lesson and that is to handle such things as if they were games.  Think about how much fun you have when you play your favorite game, whether that game is golf, Rummy, or Monopoly.  Life can be as much fun if you design it that way.  Make up games for everything from getting through the grocery store in less than half an hour to seeing how long your boss can go without blowing a gasket at the office.  Nobody ever said that life has to be a serious, boring endeavor.  If you go through it playing games, every day will be a lot more fun for you.

Remember that the score is being kept by you and only you.

Feed your spirit as regularly as you feed your body.  It doesn’t matter if you are going to church every time the doors swing open or spending quiet time in meditation on your back porch, but recognize the need to connect with your inner self and the true source of life.  If traditional religion doesn’t satisfy the urge to feed your soul, go to the bookstore or go online and find some information on meditation and how it’s done.  This is a good place to start looking for the spiritual food that is best for you.  There must be a way for you to quiet the chatter in your mind.  If you’re constantly having a conversation in your head about something or wondering what you’ll do for dinner or how that next project will come out or who’s going to do your taxes or what could your mother possibly want for her birthday or why is that weird person staring at you or….  You get the idea.  There simply must be some time for you and only you.

Have an attitude of gratitude.  I know that sounds cliché, but it really does matter.  If you take the time to thank people who help you in every way, more of the same help will attract itself to you.  If you are truly grateful for everything that is good in your life, you’ll be amazed at how much good will come to you.  The opposite is also true.  If you focus only on negativity, that’s what you’ll get.