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Institute of Serenity PMB 875, 713 W. Spruce, Deming, NM
Teaching Relaxation, Rest, and Renewal since 2002
Stress: Introduction
You probably find yourself often exclaiming to yourself or to others, “I am so busy!” It may not even be a complaint of having too much to do with too little time.
We like being busy and because most of us have grown accustomed to an all too full “plate,” we dread times when nothing is left to be done or to be accomplished.
We like to define and to identify ourselves with our accomplishments and achievements.
The desire to make our capacities and abilities visible through work is part of our nature and there is nothing wrong with that.
If we fill our schedule, however, only with goal-oriented activities, and if the only way to unwind is to pursue other activities like going into the fitness center or watching a movie, we run the risk not only of getting seriously ill, but also of losing emotional balance, spontaneity, the meaning of our life, and the connection to its creator. Life becomes a to-do list with the purpose of placing a check mark behind each “item” as soon as possible.
It seems as if we can give ourselves the permission to relax and to do no-thing only under two conditions:
After our to-do list is worked off
Our physician calls our attention to a stress-related health problem.
Did you know that…*
approximately 50 percent of all admissions to a medical facility are the result of stress?
more than half of all deaths between the ages of one and 65 result from stressful lifestyles?
one of every two female deaths is from heart disease or stroke, compared to one in 25 who will eventually die of breast cancer?
a third of the U.S. population makes New Year’s resolutions to begin a stress management program?
tranquilizers, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications account for one-fourth of all prescriptions written in the U.S. each year?
about one-half of the adult population reports trouble sleeping several nights per week?
one quarter of all Americans will die from cancer, and that stress has been identified as a contributor to cancer?
ten million Americans see a psychiatrist for stress-related issues?
40 percent of employee turnover is attributed to stress-related issues?
workplace fatigue costs American businesses at least $77 billion per year?
stress management training for heart attack patients achieved a 40 percent reduction in reoccurrence compared to patients who received only standard care?
over 20 million Americans practice or have tried yoga?
in highly stressful times, your real age can be as much as 32 years older than your calendar age?
by building strong social networks and adopting stress-reduction strategies, you can reduce the aging that stress will cause by 30 of those 32 years?
Evidently, stress - particularly long-term stress - jeopardizes our emotional and physical health. In order to find our way out of stress, we need to understand what stress actually is.
We like being busy and because most of us have grown accustomed to an all too full “plate,” we dread times when nothing is left to be done or to be accomplished. 
way to unwind is to pursue other activities like going into the fitness center or watching a movie, we run the risk not only of getting seriously ill, but also of losing emotional balance, spontaneity, the meaning of our life, and the connection to its creator. Life becomes a to-do list with the purpose of placing a check mark behind each “item” as soon as possible. 
