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What goes through your mind is reflected in your body. Have you noticed that those who continually worry and stress about their problems tend to develop tense muscles, get tired quickly or suffer from headaches and migraines?
Going over your mistakes and over analysing what went wrong (the past) or what could go wrong (the future) drains your energy. What could you have done differently? What should you do now? Why did you choose that indicator, analysis, stock, commodity or broker. The mind chatter goes on and on. You worry, you stress and that takes a toll on your body. Worrying is as effective as the outside heaters restaurants use for patrons and tables out on the cold: a lot of energy and little or no effect.
There are endless things to stress about: your retirement fund, the economy, your kids, money, the weather, your safety, pollution, the markets, your income, global warming, credit crunch to name a few. Stressing doesn’t change the situation though. It will not help time go any faster or change the people whose behaviour may be affecting your life.
What does that do to your body? Just about every system in your body is affected by your stress. Some over eat, some stop eating. Some turn to substances to ease the pain. Sleep patterns are interrupted robbing you of valuable energy re-charge time. Your immune system is more vulnerable, your breathing is shallower and less blood reaches your arms and legs. Heartbeat is faster and blood pressure can vary significantly. Worry and stress do not agree with your body.
Every person needs at least one other who will care, listen and accept them one hundred percent, without any judgements or modifications. Opening up to someone who will understand and accept you is a great way to reduce stress. If you have such a person, this is great. If you do not have one or they are not available, next best thing is a journal. A journal is your friend. It accepts you just the way you are: no judgements, criticisms or "you should have’s".
An experiment conducted a few years back indicates that confiding on paper might help wounds heal quicker because it boosts the immune system. Researchers at the Unit of Psychology at King’s College in London compared a group writing about troubling experiences with another that wrote of trivial matters. A skin puncture was created on the participants’ arms and examined two weeks later. The group that had written about their upsetting experiences had healed more quickly than the other, whose participants also demonstrated higher levels of stress.
Exchange worry and stress for action. Find someone to share it with or get a journal to write it down. Your body will thank you for it.
Believe, achieve
Sinan Koray
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