When devastating effects of prolonged stress and anxiety touch our lives, we need help and sometimes we need it NOW.
First, let’s have a look at the positives. Every day we stand, walk and move under the pressure of gravity, and our posture is defined by how we bear up to gravity’s relentless pressure and our lifestyle habits. This puts ongoing stress on our bodies. In our everyday interaction with others we present ourselves, our beliefs and values – essentially our uniqueness – to others and their uniqueness. This interaction places stress on us emotionally, physically and socially. Many other natural and normal life situations, circumstances and relations also place stress upon us. All this is considered reasonable and acceptable. It’s when we exceed these ‘everyday’ pressures that stress and anxiety as a pathology starts to become problematic – signified, for example, by:
- Working long and prolonged hours with little sleep and rest
- The onset of illness
And by the confrontations of challenging life situations such as:
- Relationship and marriage breakdown
- Death and loss of a significant other
- Loss of employment and the financial worry that this can place on a person and those who rely on them
- Digital overload, too much screen time.
All these and more place increased stress and anxiety upon us, making our lives and the lives of those around us increasingly difficult. Many people can continue to function reasonably well under these circumstances and often see the effects of them as a wake-up call to find assistance. It’s usually when these stressors compound that significant problems start to occur.
The effects of compounding stress
Compounding life stress hits our sensitivities, our physical health and wellbeing and our emotional and mental health like a brick. We become frustrated, increasingly tired and exhausted, argumentative and possibly fearful of simple social and life interactions. A person is potentially catapulted into an instinctual place of ‘fight and flight’. Our fight and flight responses are designed to help us function in life threatening and damaging situations and naturally have a place for our protection. However, when we live a life of compounded stress, poor nutrition and sleep patterns, little to no exercise and other poor living habits, our relations with others and relationship with our own wellbeing start to include these fight and flight responses more often than they are required. Life and its normality become an increasingly menacing and threatening place to be.
Physical stress
When our body is under stress it compensates with adrenalin. An adrenalin response continued over time creates physical problems such as:
- Deep and sometimes profound tiredness
- Relentless physical aches and pains
- Uncomfortable fluid retention
- Vagueness
- Poor memory
- Possibly dizziness.
Emotionally we become eruptive, with highs and lows of sadness, anger, frustration, unnatural states of exhilaration, with possibly strange neurotic behavioural patterns occurring more often than not, where life events and routines take on a significance beyond our normal way of being with them. Our internal warning systems start to come into play.
Time to act
When the body hurts or functions badly, there is a problem at hand that needs to be addressed. When our social and relationship needs are out of balance, solutions need to be found. When intimacy issues arise in our love relationships and our ability to hear and understand one another becomes distorted, help is needed. And when everything compounds and compounds to the state where we are totally overloaded on all levels and unable to function well physically, emotionally, mentally and socially – rescue is required, because it has gone too far, and the next step can be devastating on health and fitness, mental and emotional health and the ability to rationalise and comprehend situations with clarity. At this point we are in a crisis. Some of us recognise it, though more often it’s the people around us who see it more clearly. More often than not a crisis of our own making occurs in our life and we are left with the devastated realisation that we are a long way down a road of self-decline. Basically, at this point the TIME TO ACT is well and truly at hand.
Samadhi Retreat ~ your call to action
Health retreats are an essential part of maintaining wellbeing in the modern landscape of working life. When stress and anxiety start to become a problem, a call to action, then a visit to Samadhi Retreat is the perfect choice. When the effects of stress and anxiety start causing problems, then a strategic wellbeing plan customised – with the right orientation to YOU – becomes important. And if you are in life stress crisis, then a therapeutic health retreat program that gives you essential lifestyle management skills is crucial. Talk to us about your needs and let us create a plan for you.
Samadhi offers private bespoke wellness journeys, small group educational retreats for corporate and small business, and on-your-site mentoring programs to help with stress management in the workplace.
