Stress Tools

Is There Spiritual Care and Help or Meditation for Depression or Work Related Stress

2011-11-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

"Most psychiatric drugs can cause withdrawal reactions, sometimes including life-threatening emotional and physical withdrawal problems. In short, it is not only dangerous to start taking psychiatric drugs, it can also be dangerous to stop them. Withdrawal from psychiatric drugs should be done carefully under experienced clinical supervision." Warning posted by Dr. Peter Breggin

Despite all the emphasis of giving drugs to depressed people, many recover from depression with time on their own, while others receive help from a variety of sources, including therapy, family, and religion. Depression is a loss of hope. . . . The restoration of hope is key to overcoming depression and hope can come from many sources. The alternative to antidepressants is all of life: romantic love, family, friends, community, nature, and religion all help people overcome depression. Scientific studies show that everything from a new pet to an exercise program, as well as the passage of time, can relieve depression." Dr. Peter Breggin

Update Here is a two minute video by Dr. Peter Breggin MD that talks about adverse effects and the treatment of depression. Dr. Breggin has been called the conscience of psychiatry. He makes several excellent observations in this short talk.

Hello, I am a pastoral counselor and spiritual care giver. This is a lengthy article. So here is a summary. To find what you want, just scroll down.

Many people are out of control emotionally. This loss of self sovereignty results in anger and a sense of loss of dignity. Usually their life is also out of control, which then is made worse when a host of outside forces and events begin to be dominate them, increasing the sense of being controlled or out of control.

I do not buy into the chemical imbalance in the brain theory. As a pastor, I see that there is a spiritual component as well as a relational one to our life issues--often beginning with childhood traumas; poor communication with a father; then school, peer and other pressures, exacerbated by a variety of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and even misdiagnoses.

Then to make matters worse, most people become resentful toward others who caused their issues or failed to help them, and this resentment destabilizes them and renders them exquisitely sensitive to those very pressures.

Resentment and the traumas to which we have over-reacted cause us to lose the center--lose touch with our center of dignity and innocence, and fall away from our Creator (to Whom we were once close when very little children). Thus I see that learning to let go of resentment is an important component in repairing one's life and restoring emotional balance and control.

A complementary mindfulness meditation has been found by some people to be helpful in facilitating the restoration of balance, control and a sense of dignity. It helps them calm down without feeling numbed, disconnected or dazed. Some also say that it seems to assist in them in re-finding their spiritual roots, and once a connection is re-established, there appears to be a power that comes into play that assists in holding back the pressures from overwhelming them.

For example, many were Christians, but just not quite Christian enough. Somehow this meditation permits them to become unblocked and to get in touch with their Christian roots in a wholesome way, so that now they can better appreciate what their good pastor or the Bible is saying.

Reason returns, calmness enters, and now reality becomes a friend. Real positive options can be explored, and now the door opens to a chain of good things happening, and the door closes to the negative thoughts, emotions and the negative behaviors they were once compelled to exhibit. Click here to read more about meditation.

After introducing the meditation and why it can help, the author then refers to Mike's Story. Mike's Story is a success story of someone who overcame depression, OCD, bipolar, anxiety and substance abuse without drugs. Mike's Story is published in installments (and will soon be a book). Click Here to read Mike's Story now.

Finally additional resources are listed, both library resources and online free resources to read and watch. End of summary.

Hello,
this is Roland. Many people are concerned about negative emotions. They have them and are seeking to cope with them and solve them. So they are looking for educational resources and solution strategies. This article is divided into three sections.

First I talk about why we become upset in the first place (usually beginning in childhood) and how a proper meditation to learn how to calm down can help a person cope. I put this section first because I believe that finding the key to natural self control is the most important thing each of us can discover.

Many people are out of control, and regaining self sovereignty has so many benefits, among them a restored sense of dignity and self worth, living life on a more even keel, having more patience with others, and the restoration of hope when we discover that we really can cope with life's challenges and seek for the purpose of our life.

Read the whole article

Why Do I Feel Tired and Drained Around People

2011-10-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Many people feel tired and drained at work or around other people. It is common to feel tired and drained around others. As a counselor and spiritual caregiver, I know that it is very important to learn how to work and be around others without feeling drained. This article is a description of this issue, from a pastoral counselor's perspective, as well as an introduction to the solution.

I am aware that there may be physical environmental factors that contribute to feeling drained--such as electrosmog from electrical and electronic equipment (such as computers). Some people say there may even be the effect of cell phones, cordless phones or Wifi nearby. Other people warn of the possibility of chemicals in the air coming from furniture, carpets, cleaning chemicals or poorly filtered air.

The reader may wish to research these possibilities and perhaps consult with an environmental professional or a medical practitioner. Since I am a counselor I cannot address these issues other than mention them in passing as something to find out more about. Of course, there is just plain fatigue--working too hard or trying to do too much. If this describes you, then cut back a little so that your body can rest. Finally there may be physical health issues that should be checked out by your doctor or medical practitioner.

Like I said, I cannot comment on any of the above areas other then to mention them and encourage you to get help from the appropriate professional.

But what I can talk about are emotional and spiritual factors involved. I have been lecturing and writing for over 20 years about the psycho-spiritual causes of stress.

From an emotional and spiritual perspective, the reason why we feel tired and drained around people is because, frankly, many people ARE tiring and draining.

They drain us because they tempt us to react, to resent, and to respond to them. They nag, tease, or pressure us until we react. Then we resent their having gotten to us. Our resentment makes us feel guilty, and so we bend over backwards to be nice to them (to placate guilt). Soon the whole cycle starts again--we give our all, only to find they are taking advantage. We resent them (or ourselves) for this--and this leads to the vicious cycle repeating itself over and over.

Another type of temptation is that people are the source of is tension. There is the tension of unfinished business, the tension of injustice, and the tension of confusion. Other people may be the source of the temptation, but it is our own resentment that hurts us most of all. Instead of clearing the air and being outspoken (with calmness and patience) we become angry and clam up. We suppress our hostility and say nothing. So we end up tense around such people.

Often the person is someone near to you--a family member or a workmate. So tense and repressed and suppressed do we become that we vent our suppressed anger on someone else (like our kids) or we turn to drugs or alcohol to artificially calm down. But these legal or illegal drugs or alcohol drain us too! They have the power to drain us of energy and money (since they are expensive) because they are temptations themselves. We are using them for an artificial peace instead of finding peace with God and learning to be more forgiving.

Therefore, other people tempt us to react and give up energy. Once we become conditioned to react, even innocent people drain us too. People or situations that make us resentful and angry cause us to suppress hostility and become tense. The tension cries out for relief through drugs, alcohol, sex or violence.

Can you see, in very basic terms, that even just reacting to others, getting upset by them, and then having secret resentment towards them cause tension, because we feel uneasy about ourselves and off balance?

If you are reacting (and having others push your buttons) or resenting, you are not living gracefully and are not inwardly impelled. You sense this at some unplumbed level of your being and it makes you feel anxious and uneasy. Tense, in other words.

Tension cries out for relief. And whatever you use to relieve the tension (even work or exercise!), drains you.

Mark this well: work will not drain you if it is natural, not wrong, and in accord with your nature. It becomes easy and an outflow of your creative self--like the way little kids play. If it is done resentfully or your motive or motivation is wrong, or the work itself is dishonest, it will drain you. Likewise exercise.

Honest and decent work--an honest day's pay for an honest day's work--will not drain you (unless you resent it). A day of decent work leaves you naturally tired at the end of the day and ready to enjoy a good night's sleep to then wake up refreshed and renewed in the morning.

Dishonest work, work ambitiously or resentfully will drain you. Why? Because the work has become a temptation and it has the power to drain you. Phony and ambitious environments drain. So does unethical work or work where you do not earn your living.

One more thing, if your work is right but you are still feeling tense and drained, it is most likely because either you are trying too hard (relax!), or you are resentful about something. Careful not to resent your work. Most of us have had jobs that were not very fulfilling, but if it is decent work and pays the bills, be grateful for it and don't resent it. Things are always changing--one day you may have a better job. In the meanwhile, there is nothing wrong with working with your hands

Before describing this typical situation in more detail, I want to quickly mention the solution. I am solution oriented, and the solution is the most important thing. We ought not to be reacting to people and feeling drained; nor should we be causing reacting in others. We ought to live with each other like flowers, each growing separately and loving the same sun, but not living off of each other.

You see, when we respond and react to the temptation in others, we give up energy. The tempter gets our energy, and we feel drained. Then we are compelled to take it out on someone else and drain that person. Thus we become more like animals, where the bigger dog defeats and drains a smaller dog; or like a fungus parasite living off another life form.

We are spiritual beings in a body. If we do not have an independent source of life (our Creator), we are obliged to plunder and take energy from others, or else take energy from our own body cells to serve king or queen ego. The solution is this. We must learn to live with people without having them live off of us. We must learn to live with others without living off of them. It was the temptation operating through someone (your mother, for example) who first teased you with confusion or cruelty or pulled on your heart strings and got you reacting emotionally.

Once your body started responding, a conditioning process set in; and before long you could not stop reacting. Let me also say that once you become conditioned to react and give up energy, the mere presence of another person (or someone with mannerisms like a tempter from the past) will cause reacting and a giving up of energy. So other people might drain you without their being a temptation or wanting to drain you.

This brings us to the issue of feeling tired and drained not because of the work but because of the work environment. The workplace is full of temptation. Bosses and coworkers are demanding. There is injustice. There is plenty of tease, such as gossip or intrigue. Workplaces tend to be ambitious environments, tempting us to react, try hard, set goals and give our all. No wonder we feel tired and drained!

Now that you know why people are draining, I will address what to do about it. You must learn to be around people without reacting to them emotionally. It is okay to work, go to school, have friends, get married, engage in recreation and so on--but just don't react emotionally to everyone and everything. Learn to be around people without being too close. Mentally stand back and observe your reactions. Don't struggle with your reactions or try to suppress them (this will only tire you more). Just watch them. Begin to notice all the little unnecessary responses and reactions you make.

As time passes, you will learn to catch yourself just before you begin getting angry or excited, for example. Avoid people who are especially draining if you can. If you must be around them, just remain a bit mentally distant. Do your work, go about your business as calmly as you can, and watch out for resentment. If you are like most people, you are so reactive after a lifetime of reacting, you will need a little help in learning how to stand back and be a little more detached.

A stress reduction meditation--one that takes into account all that I have just said--is very helpful and may be necessary. There is also a direct link between being ambitious and willful and our eventual deterioration and debilitation. That is why you must learn to meditate for mental distance. Learn to stand back, realize, and flow from realization. From the neutral zone, you will begin to be able to see what things capture your attention and seek to involve you emotionally. You will also see where you are struggling, straining, and applying effort--when graceful ease is all that is needed.

You will also see activities that you will find you are no longer interested in doing. Some of them were programmed into you. Others are just no longer needed. But you became locked into them through resentment and struggle. Some activities will still be necessary (such as work, for example) but you will be able to learn how to work without strain. If the work is not for you, you might have to change your work. Or perhaps stay where you are while saving money to make a change. Other work or work environments are just not right for you, and you will be able to leave and find something else. If the work is okay, then all you need do is change your motivation--learn to flow gracefully instead of straining out of resentment.

Some people feel drained at home, and it is often because you are resentful toward someone there. Learn not to resent your mom, dad, wife, husband, kids or anyone. Don't resent your aging parents if they make demands on you. Some moms are run ragged by everyone because she can't say no and feels responsible for everyone. They learn to take advantage. In this case, mom, meditate and learn to let go of resentment and judgment. When the resentment and judgment are gone, you will be able to say no to demands (from people who should be doing something for themselves) without feeling guilty.

Other people are literally being drained at home by someone who is living off them. There is such a thing as a psychic vampire. Wrong people have no independent life source and they have to tempt, nag, irritate or pull on your heart strings to tempt you of your life. Watch out for this sort of thing. Meditate for mental distance. You will see who is draining you. Don't resent them and through meditation you will be able to seal yourself off from being drained.

If you see what I am saying, you might just put the article down and go and meditate. Just becoming aware that you are resentful is already a big breakthrough step. Most of us are not even aware of how resentful we are. Resentment, you will recall, is a reaction and a draining one.

The proper meditation is the antidote to fixating, reacting, and struggling. When you learn to calm down, slow down, and stop straining, your body will have a chance to rest and recuperate. Watch out for resentment. It is perhaps the worst form of willful struggle, where another person upset you into struggling resentfully.

The meditation that we offer at the Center for Common Sense Counseling is very spiritual and practical. It teaches you how to stand back and see the big picture. It permits you to become re-centered and to begin living your own life, flowing from within instead of reacting to everything.

Why Do I Feel Tired and Drained at Work? The Intersection between Ethics and Quality of Worklife and the Sin-Stress Connection

2011-10-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

"Why Do I Feel Tired and Drained at Work?"

If your health care provider says that you are physically okay, then it could be that you are reacting emotionally and giving up energy because of people pleasing and striving toward goals.

Somewhere in your past, someone tempted you to react emotionally and give up energy. Perhaps it was to please mother or to avoid her wrath. Perhaps it was to prove something to someone or to avoid criticism.

By making something too important, you were forced to use effort. What could and should have come naturally and effortlessly became a willful struggle, leading to tension, fatigue, anger (when it didn't work out), disappointment, and even exhaustion.

But once your ego got involved, trying became the only way you knew to do things. You forgot the graceful way. And when things made you tired and frustrated, you might have just thrown in the towel and quit. Many a failure in life became that way because he or she tried too hard to please others, and just could not bear another round of pain, guilt, and fatigue.

Focusing, trying, studying, and setting goals have to do with making something too important. This process is also frustrating and leads to a sense of futility. Why? Because the goals are not even your own. They are goals someone else gave you. Even wanting to please others is a goal that someone in your distant past gave you.

That is why it is not surprising that we become fascinated and fixated--a sure sign that our attention has been captured. Through our captured attention, various suggestions are funneled, and soon we find ourselves doing the will of the motivator.

Because the motivator wills that we exert effort, and because any egotistical action required effort (whereas realizing and flowing from grace is effortless), we strain, try, and exert effort. This leads to tension, fatigue, and sooner or later frustration. We soon become drained. And when we are tense and drained, it puts a stress on our glands and organs.

Soon our adrenals or other glands become exhausted. No wonder we feel fatigued and tired all the time. And soon physical problems may result from our run down state, such as we become more susceptible to germs.

There is a direct link between being ambitious and willful (which someone else tempted you to be) and your eventual deterioration. That is why you must learn to find mental distance. Learn to stand back, realize, and flow from realization. From the neutral zone, you will begin to be able to see what things capture your attention. As soon as you find yourself struggling with something or getting excessively involved, mentally step back.

Let emotion pass. Get your bearings. Remember what is truly important in life. Don't make anything more important than what you know in your heart is right. ("Put first the Kingdom of God and His Right Way, and all other things will be added unto you.")

You will also see where you are struggling, straining, and applying effort--when graceful ease is all that is needed. You will also see activities that you will find you are no longer interested in doing. Some of them were programmed into you. Others are just no longer needed. But you became locked into them through resentment and struggle.

Some activities will still be necessary (such as work, for example) but you will be able to learn how to work without strain. If the work is not for you, you might change your work. Or perhaps stay where you are while saving money to make a change.

When you are no longer resentfully locked into your work, it will be easier to leave, if necessary, without guilt. If the work is unethical or the work environments is just not right for you, you will be able to leave and find somewhere else. If the work is okay, then all you need do is change your motivation-learn to flow gracefully instead of straining out of resentment.

Taking a mental step backwards and getting out of upset and excessive involvement in the situation is the antidote to fixating and concentrating. When you learn to calm down, slow down, and stop straining; your body will have a chance to rest and recuperate. Stepping back and getting the big picture helps emotions to calm and resentment to diminish. You can then objectively see what is really going on and act in reason instead of upset.

Watch out for resentment. It is perhaps the worst form of willful struggle, where another person upset you into struggling resentfully.

Perhaps now you can see that it is responding to temptation that causes us to give up energy. The subtle guilt (which we often misinterpret as "not trying hard enough") for going along to get along, for example, makes us tense. We sense deep in our being that we are not living properly We feel tense and ill at ease. yet we rarely ascribe these symptoms to the proper cause--responding and giving in to temptation.

Work environments tend to be full of temptation--we are pressured or seduced into being ambitious, into doing the expedient instead of the right thing, and we are tempted to live pretentiously. Our co-workers also tempt us to judge them or to give in to group pressure and gossip with them.

This does not mean that we must become reclusive or act holier than thou. It does mean that we must learn how to be in the world and not of the world. We must learn how to be around people without giving up our life to them or sinning with them.

Perhaps now you can also see why your first line of defense is to not resent others. Watch for and let go of resentment against others, your work, and toward yourself. Remember--resentment is a response to temptation. It will make you tense and nervous; and to relieve the tension you will welcome those activities that help you drain off tension. But in the process you will lose energy.

A simple mindfulness meditation that I have taught for over 20 years has been helpful to many people. It teaches how to de-fixate and how to stand back and see the big picture. It permits you to become re-centered and to begin living your own life, flowing from within instead of reacting to everything.

Your first line of defense is to learn to stand back. Take a step back and get the big picture. Step back into the neutral zone where you can look at things objectively instead of emotionally.

Find frequent occasions for alone time-where you can sit quietly and center yourself.

Take a good spiritual book or the Bible with you so that you can find a moment or two to read even a paragraph or a couple of verses--just to remind yourself of what is truly important in life.

Maintain an attitude of friendly neutrality.

Endeavor to be professional in every aspect of or your work, including breaks and lunches. There is no place for gossip, telling naughty jokes or spreading rumors. Being a true professional is very close to being salt and light.

Cultivate an attitude of friendly neutrality.

"It's like a boxing match. As managers we cannot be participants and involved in the problem. Nor can we be spectators, just watching what is going on. We must be more like referees--not part of the problem and not mere spectators, but concerned guides, monitors and mentors."

Be plain spoken and tell the truth. Lying, covering up, or obfuscating the truth are stresses that have a cumulative effect on your mental health and physical well being.

Watch out for resentment. The slightest resentment will cause you to lose altitude and to fall back inot your old ways of struggle, giving up energy and excessive worry.

Do not allow your work to drive your life. Practice time management, prioritize, learn to delegate, and don't hesitate to ask for help if work is piling up or is becoming overwhelming.

________________________

And in every work that be began in the service of the house of God, and in
the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his
heart, and prospered. 2 Chronicles 31, verse 21.

Give me within the work which calls to-day,
To see Thy finger gently beckoning on;
So struggle grows to freedom, work to play,
And toils begun from Thee to Thee are done.

J. F. Clarke.

God is a kind Father. He sets us all in the places where He wishes us to be
employed; and that employment is truly "our Father's business." He chooses
work for every creature which will be delightful to them, if they do it
simply and humbly. He gives us always strength enough, and sense enough,
for what He wants us to do; if we either tire ourselves or puzzle
ourselves, it is our own fault. And we may always be sure, whatever we are
doing, that we cannot be pleasing Him, if we are not happy ourselves.

John Ruskin.

For more information go to http://stress-tools.blogspot.com

Roland Trujillo MS BCPC is a lecturer in management, board certified counselor, and the author of 11 books on stress management and integrating spiritual principles into our work and personal life. He specializes in performance improvement by reducing conflict and stress points. Roland also researches and teaches human factors and safety and has lectured on Total Quality Management, Executive Decision Making, Management Control Systems, and Principles of Management for 20 years.

Roland is particularly interested in teaching people how to identify and eliminate stress in order to improve performance and live optimally.

"When something goes wrong, we need to look at both people and processes for clues. "In my 10 years investigating serious employee and highway accidents for the railroads, I found that human factors such as fatigue, distraction, upset, resentment, anger, substance use, or conflict are almost always contributing factors."

Preventing Emotional Trauma with Patience and Love, and Finding Healing Through a Willingness to Forgive

2010-08-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Dr. John Breeding mentioned Dr. Levine in one of his youtube videos on ADHD and other diagnoses. I recommend you watch all of Dr. John Breeding's youtube videos on helping people with psychological issues and mental health problems.

Dr Levine wrote a must have book called Trauma Through the Eyes of a Child.

This is a short interview about his book

Trauma Proofing Your Child.

Conquering Stress and its Symptoms

2010-03-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

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A well known but often overlooked factor—called resentment—is the subtle tipping point that separates us from our calm center of dignity and sends us over the brink into anger, fear, nervousness, and upset which contribute to a host of symptoms. I have found the antidote to resentment—awareness and forgiveness—and a meditation that helps you implement awareness and forgiveness.

Practicing our meditation with a sincere intent and a true desire to be a better person closes the door on over-reactions and upset, and opens the door to a world of good.

In this article I will focus on the moment of reaction, wherein we fail. By learning how to remain calm or impassive in that instant, we by-pass our stress reactions and bring reason and understanding to bear. This has a very positive effect on our well being and on the situation. When we remain calm and reasonable, our body is not forced to react, and thus has the time and energy to recuperate from previous over reactions.
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Moreover, our newfound calmness and reasonableness constitute a new way of dealing with life’s little ups and downs; our new way cancels out prior conditioning and establishes a new conditioning based on a rapport with our inner Ground of Good.
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Now that you know where I am going, let us look at the basics of stress

A Primer on Stress

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Basically anything we react to is a stressor and causes stress. Dr. Hans Selye, the father of stress research, said there are two types of stress: so called “eu-stress,” or pleasant stress, and “dis-stress” or unpleasant stress.

We are all familiar with unpleasant stress and the toll it can take on our body. If you eat something tainted, it stresses your body to react. Cold, wind, rain, or excessive heat stress the body and elicit a response. Spraining your ankle or falling off your bike are situations that elicit stress responses. Being mugged, robbed, or mauled by a dog are stresses.

We also know that divorce, losing a job, or being betrayed by another are unpleasant stresses.
The negative or unpleasant stresses cause a whole variety of bodily responses and changes, both specific (like a scab on a wound) and nonspecific (affecting the whole body). These changes take energy and ultimately take their toll on the body.
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Stress is cumulative, in that it gradually uses up our life force. Yes, some stresses are part of life (like a rain shower, a hot day, or a brisk windy day). They can’t really be totally avoided (except the excessive ones). They are invigorating and without them we would stagnate.

But Dr. Selye discovered that so-called eu-stresses such as going to a party, attending an exciting ball game, or starting new job are stresses too.

These stresses may be pleasant, but they also take their toll on the body just as much as obvious unpleasant stresses do.

Dr. Selye was not saying that we should avoid new or fun situations. They are part of life and are invigorating. But he is saying that we should be aware that any stress ultimately wears us down.
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Too much stress, either dis-tress (like a divorce or being fired) or eu-stress (moving to a new house) will wear you down. More stress wears you down quicker than less stress. And stress is cumulative.

Stress takes its toll. It may be invigorating, but it also drains us of life force. And our over-reactions (to whatever is, by definition, the stressor) lead to all manner of symptoms.
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The bottom line is this: we must find a way to take things in stride, both good and bad.

In other words, over-reactions are not good. Look at all the over-reactions which are purely at the physical level: asthma, allergies and auto immune disease—where the body’s extreme responses are more harmful than what the stressor is doing. In other words, pollen cannot really hurt you, but an over-reaction can. Anaphylactic shock is a big over-reaction that can even kill a person.

But how about all of our emotional over-reactions: anger, rage, irritation, hostility, hyper excitement on the one hand and hurt feelings, disappointment and frustration on the other?

These emotions are reactions that are stressing us. Many people love to over-react and yell and scream at ball games, for example. Or they love to moan and groan and play the “poor me, what have I ever done to deserve this” game. They are adding stress to their lives through these feelings.

People ague and quarrel all the time because they react angrily. Others react angrily and suppress it, but their reaction is still stressing their body.

Many people get irritated at others, and they secretly enjoy having something to complain about. They feel they have a right to judge others and complain. But their daily bouts of irritation take a toll on the body.

Some people party, study too much and stay up late, depriving themselves of sleep. They are subjecting their body to stress. No wonder they feel drained the morning after the night before. No wonder people come back from a vacation more drained than before they left.

Just as partying and then cramming for a test are unnecessary stresses which we inflict on ourselves, so are our angers, secret hostilities, and impatient frustrations.

Another example. Take work for instance. Of course we have to work. But we should be able to work without becoming angry and upset at our work.

Life will throw things our way. But we should be able to go through life without reacting to everything. What I am saying is that some stress is unavoidable. But too much stress is not good for us. And most of us heap an extra layer of stress on ourselves through our emotional reactions.

Many of us are experiencing huge amounts of stress unnecessarily because we are indulging emotions all the time, especially anger, hostility and resentment.

Work is one thing; working angrily is another. Encountering a traffic jam is one thing; becoming upset at it is another.

Here is the key to eliminating undue stress from your life. Let go of resentment. Resentment is the little reaction that begins the cascade of stress reactions, misery and suffering. You must learn to watch for it, and let it go. That is what all my writings are about.

Resentment is the elephant in the living room. If you want to control stress, you’re going to have to control resentment.

Resentment is the precursor, like an igniter, that by-passes the powers of spiritual discipline and hands down authority to biological processes and stimulates biological compensation. Once our body is called upon to respond to some stressor, it follows due diligence, as it should. But wouldn't it be better if the body were not called upon to toil in the first place?

A Tribute to Dr. Hans Selye

2008-12-17T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hans Selye is internationally acknowledged as "the father of the stress field" and, as such, a Canadian resource to the world. Since publishing the first scientific paper to identify and define "stress" in 1936, Dr. Selye wrote more than 1700 scholarly papers and 39 books on the subject.

At the time of his death in late 1982, his work had been cited in more than 362,000 scientific papers, and in countless popular magazine stories, in most major languages and in all countries worldwide. He is still by far the world's most frequently cited author on stress topics.

Dr. Selye held three earned doctorates (M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.) plus 43 honourary doctorates. He was an elected member of several dozen of the world's most recognized medical and scientific associations.

Dr. Selye gained enduring international respect not only for his scientific innovations, but equally for his commitment to sharing the practical benefits of his work with everyday people. Two of his books, "The Stress of Life" and "Stress Without Distress" were unequalled bestsellers (the latter in 17 languages).