Chill Out And Live The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die Not so long ago, my daughter told me to ‘chill out’. In everyday-speak, I found out that ‘un-freezing’, ‘de-stressing’, or ‘reducing my level of stress’ were pretty accurate translations for the free advice. Given that stress has many undesirable side effects – premature ageing is one of those – I thought that I should explore how to reduce it. First-off, I thought I’d check out my stress potential; in particular, whether I am what’s often referred to as a Type A or Type B personality. Type As are considered to be what you don’t want to be – the stressful types who can end up with chronic health problems. I always associated Type A behaviour with a fellow I knew who, when he went for a pee, would press the flush-button before he started. His aim (no pun intended) was to finish taking a pee before the toilet finished flushing and the cistern refilling. ‘If that was typical of Type A behaviour’, I concluded, ‘then I must be Type B’. My daughter’s advice encouraged me to question other situations, too. Some other examples included: When I play Scrabble, cards, or sport, am I out to win – do I fight all the way? (Type A) Or do I like to win but mainly play for the fun of it? (Type B) Am I a fast driver? Do I get irritated by the car in front travelling too slowly? Does the (unlucky) person in the passenger’s seat usually try to slow me down? (Type A) Do I set aside time for hobbies? (Type B) Or are hobbies only to fill in idle time when there is nothing important to do? (Type A) Do I get impatient when things are done slower than I think they should be? (Type A) Do I think about workplace problems while eating or in the bathroom? (Type A) Do I get irritated when I have to wait for a table in a restaurant or queue-up for service elsewhere? (Type A) Do I always feel that I never get done all of the things I want to do in a day? (Type A) It turns out that such Type-A traits can be possible predictors of heart attack and forerunners of stress that can inevitably lead to undesirable events such as premature ageing. The good news is that Type A behaviour can be reversed – or eliminated, of course. Examples could include: taking regular short breaks (about every 90 minutes) from what you’re doing; practising relaxation techniques; eating only nutritional foods, and steering clear of processed foods; committing yourself to exercise; having an annual medical check-up; avoiding harbouring resentments; having fun and enjoying life; thinking positively; developing a network of social support; and protecting your leisure time and making time for play and hobbies. For me, chilling out involved one more step. I decided to start saying ‘no’ more often. I realised that I’d be judged on what I had completed and not on the amount that I’d taken on. My focus has become engaging in the things that really matter. And, above all, I resolved to keep in mind that it isn’t what happens to you, it’s how you choose to let it affect you that matters. You’re right that there are other ways to manage stress: we each have our own stories to tell. For me, chilling out has meant slowing down and marching to the beat of my own drum.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 00:11:46 +0000
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