Michael Schnabel

Stress continued:

Search for the good in things. When you are in crisis, finding good can be very challenging. If you had an 8% chance of living, you probably wouldn't wish you had a newborn child. That's what happened to our daughter, and she chose to look for the silver lining. She quickly realized this newborn was timed to uncover her cancer with a chance of survival remaining. This beautiful child then became her reason to never, ever give up. 

What calms and recharges you? Not everyone is the same. When I get stressed, it helps to find someplace that's quiet and allow my mind to wander. My wife likes to recharge with other people. She loves a party or family reunion. She looks for interaction, and I look for quiet. Find which one works for you and do it. Introverts and extraverts both benefit from meditation. Try a guided meditation online and see how you like it. If you find it helps, explore different ways to meditate. The more you meditate, the easier it becomes to replace stress with peace of mind.

Are you taking care of the only body and brain? Are you getting enough sleep? Is it a deep sleep? Your body and mind need to relax and refresh. Exercise and yoga also help you recharge and release stress. Eating a balanced diet also helps. If you practice these things daily you will also get the mental lift of knowing you are taking care of yourself.

Faith and belief help many people who are in crisis or stressed out. Sometimes you have to ask for help from something bigger than yourself. Our family relied on our faith and the belief that God provided us what we needed when we needed it. Looking back at our challenges helped us understand the lessons they taught us.

In one of my earlier blogs, I talked about the importance of our attitude. We feel better when we have a positive attitude, and so do the people around us. I get up an hour early to pray, meditate, and read something inspirational. It feeds my mind with positive and thankful thoughts and helps put things in perspective. I like to read self-help, spiritual, and inspirational books of how others overcame their challenges.

Joy and happiness help push the stress out of your mind. Read a good book. Watch a funny movie. Walk the dog. Play your favorite music. Spend time with someone who makes you laugh or brightens your day. Find a quiet place to take some time for yourself and catch your breath.

I hope some of this helps you. Remember, it's easy to imagine everything that could go wrong, but in my experience, the vast majority never came close to happening.