by Terry Lyles

Stress management typically focuses on stress avoidance. But I believe it is futile to try to avoid stress in our lives. If stress can’t be avoided, then we need to learn how to navigate through it so that seemingly insurmountable obstacles become successes.

“Stress is any opposing force, potentially limiting forward progress. But it is also the stimulus for all action and growth— an opportunity for development and discovery.”

Living in the Zone

I suggest to people that when they wake in the morning, they immediately take a self-inventory to assess where they are mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The alignment or balancing of our mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional acuities is what athletes mean when they say they are “in the zone.”

Our proficiency in each of these zones can vary. By starting the day with an awareness of where we are in those four areas, and then working to align them, will help us to stay focused and to manage setbacks more effectively. For example, your weakest link might be physical. You know from past experience that when you feel depleted and tired you are more apt to reach for quick fixes—junk food, caffeine, cigarettes, etc...

Knowing this about yourself can then prompt you to be more attentive to your diet, hydration, and getting plenty of rest. For other people their weakest link might be emotional; they find themselves feeling erratic and moody, perhaps even hopeless in the face of chronic stress. For these individuals, talking things over with a trusted friend, practicing simple breathing exercises, and recording feelings in a journal can help to recharge their batteries so that they feel less at the whim of their emotions.

The importance of recovery time

Our bodies are hard-wired to handle stress. Properly utilized, stress can propel us toward success. Without stress, we will atrophy and die. What most people don’t realize is that it is unrelieved stress that is dangerous. We need sufficient recovery time—to regroup emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. These regular, periodic recovery “breaks” are essential for optimum health and performance.

Our physiology is designed for a regular 90-minute oscillatory cycle of stress-recovery, stress-recovery, stress-recovery throughout the day. When we give ourselves regular periods of recovery we are more able to perform well under pressure and on demand. Without these breaks we will burn out quickly. In our high-pressure society, faster, better, stronger only makes sense and becomes possible when we give ourselves a chance to recover.¹

Tips for zone realignment

When experiencing a stressful situation or crisis, or even when struggling with a particularly anxious period in our lives, these tips can help keep the four zones in balance:

Mental

• Focus on what is in your control.
• Look for the positives in every situation.
• See the ways you are helping and believe that you are doing the absolute best that you can at this time.
• Before going to sleep, think about all of the victories or small successes you’ve witnessed during the day or week.
• Remember that certain conditions are truly temporary; it will not always be as it is now.

• Talk to someone about how you are feeling.
• Don’t deny your feelings. Allow yourself to have them. When you repress feelings, they can hurt you.
• Write letters or keep a journal to help process the experience.
• Make a list of what you are grateful for and add to it every day. Refer back to the list often, and especially when you’re feeling low.

• Focus on what you believe to be your overall purpose in life or purpose in the stressful situation or crisis. It will give you the inspiration to forge ahead.
• Remember the ‘big picture’ while negotiating the smaller details of the day.
• Have faith that many good things can come out of a trauma or negative experience, even if they aren’t apparent right now.
• Take time to talk to God or ask for spiritual guidance.

• Take regular breaks every 90 minutes, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
• Drink water regularly.
• Eat small but frequent meals or snacks of healthy, low-sugar, low-fat foods. Consume very little food prior to bedtime.
• Exercise, using a blend of cardio, strength, and resistance.
• Do your best to go to bed at the same time each night. Try to think positive thoughts, meditate, or perform breathing exercises to ensure your sleep is recuperative. 2