A couple days ago, I told about a dream that showed me being ill, and getting better. It took the realizations that I was ill to make me realize I was getting better. But how many others out there are ill? How many are in situations that are making them ill without realizing it?
Many times we get in situations that are stressful, or just hard. All too often they will be things that we do regularly, like meetings of groups we belong to or jobs we are employed at. Other times it can be the things we do to ourselves that cause stress or poor health. The obvious things that come to mind are smoking or drinking. But it could be something as simple as laying in a recliner in such a position that it hurts the back.
So, why don’t we just change what we do? Well, all too often, it is not that easy.
If the job is too stressful, then the cure is to find another job. Sounds simple, right? I think we all know that there is a great difference between sounding simple and being simple. In my last job, I was stressed out of my mind (or what little mind I have). Interviews at other places all too often showed me how much worse their problems were than what I was currently in. After a few of those, I stopped looking for a long while. It was very obvious that no matter how much stress I was under, it was a ‘known factor’. Going off somewhere would have been an ‘unknown’. It could be better than where I was, or much worse. At least I knew what to expect with the job I had, and that had a degree of comfort. (Which makes me glad I got laid off. I probably would have stayed there until I died for the uncertainty of going elsewhere. Being laid off was the best thing that happened to me. It was the kick in the backside I needed to leave and do the work I need to be doing. )
Sometimes situations are hard to leave, like when you belong to certain groups. Sometimes the group activity is stressful, but if the people there are your only friends, then you don’t want to cut off the contact with them.
As far as personal habits go, they are easier to deal with. The key is that you need to recognize that they are problems, and then have the will to deal with them. Again, not simple, but more easily attainable. Sometimes we do things that make sense but don’t make sense. We may speed when we drive, and then create stress by worrying about getting caught. So either don’t speed (probably the best suggestion) or don’t worry (be prepared to pay the consequences).
In truth, there are many situations we are in that make us ill, some we can control, others we can’t. The big thing is to look at what we do, and what we can do about it. Sometimes solutions are easy, sometimes not. Sometimes it is as radical as changing jobs or finding a simpler solution like doing meditation to allow you a calm place from which you can deal with the stress. But the first big step is to recognize each situation and be aware of what is happening to you because of it. Only then can you make changes to improve your health, and improve your life.