Zen and the Art Of A Stress-Free Day

I recently received an email from my sister with the subject line reading: Zen. With that I knew she was sending me something enlightening. She wrote that somewhere she'd read an anonymous quote:

Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday

And everything is OK

After reading that email, I let out a sigh of relief. My sister tends to stress about the days to come, when  her "today" hasn't even begun. I thought that if she recites this quote each morning (out loud or in her mind), she'll get through each day as it happens, rather than anticipate the near future with worry. With that, I realized I have my moments, too, of pondering what's to come when I should be focusing on the moment at hand.

Of course, there are always minor roadblocks that can put a detour in one's daily plans. But learning to take each day moment by moment and dealing with life's obstacles will only benefit your mind and body. Otherwise, you are at risk of putting your body into stress mode, or fight-or-flight response. In order to protect ourselves from danger (for purposes of this article, stress = danger), our bodies release certain chemicals to help us prepare for the fight and the flight.

When we feel threatened, the hypothalamus in our brain prompts the adrenal glands to set free throughout our bloodstream the hormones adrenaline and cortisol. While these chemicals are necessary, too much is no good. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, which elevates your blood pressure, and we know that prolonged high blood pressure, or hypertension, can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other complications. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, assists in immune function and blood sugar metabolism, yet too much of it can also lead to cardiovascular problems and digestive dysfunction.

We all deal with stress in our lives. Our bodies are built to handle stresses, as well as recover from them when the tensions pass. However, if we undergo stressful situations most days of our lives, or if we just don't know how to safely handle stress in way that is not harmful to ourselves, health hazards are likely to occur.

If you find that you have trouble handling stress, or if you need help learning how to deal with it, it's OK to seek professional help. Eating nutrient-rich foods and exercise will help, along with safe activities that may help calm you.

And remember:
Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday

And everything is OK