What To Do About Stress

Discomfort and STRESS caused by radical Change.

Important transitions we all experience as we ride the

chaotic waves on the Sea of Change.

"What's a girl to do?"

It seems about every time you're ready to collapse into a Quantum Mass of quivering stressed-out wretchedness, along comes someone chortling and cooing …

"Now, take a deep breath and try to relax. Everything will be just hunky-dory."

Do you listen? Do you care? Does anybody listen or care? No way.

When you're dancing naked with your feet on fire, you aren't interested in painting mind-pictures of bucolic meadows, babbling brooks, and sunshiny afternoons.

Your brain is too busy minding your feet and desperately looking for fig leaves.

[Figuratively speaking.]

Although you desperately want relief, it won't happen while you pirouette across life's stage at near the speed of light.

"OK", you bravely and vibrantly ask; "How do I get to Nirvana — where men are men and women are women."

"Where cats and dogs nap together, and little old ladies safely cross the street?"

"What must I do when one of these Dramatic Changes whacks me; hits me right between the eyes?"

You do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

And, you do it for two minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Rummage about your environs and find a watch, stopwatch, or egg timer. [An hourglass won't work. It's too Yesterday.]

This act alone will slow your tap-dancing enough — just maybe — for you to tell the big-hand from the little-hand. Maybe even get a glimpse of the second-hand.

Take your timepiece by surprise.

Put it in your hand and suddenly stare at it for a full 2 minutes and 37 seconds.

Do this as you purge your mind of all thought intrusions whilst [a little British Talk] making a heroic purchase on thinking about nothing.

Be still and don't move. Breathe a little if you must, but no whirling, whining, or whimpering.

One minor shudder is allowed. It's usually uncontrollable, anyway.

Your mind must be blank. Not blankety-blank-blank. Just blank.

[For many of us this is not so terribly difficult.]

Every time you shudder, twitch, or let a rogue thought pop into your mind, start over.

If starting over becomes your latest bad habit, you'll at least be focusing on your bad habit; not on the rib-rattling change causing the stress.

This is known as a Step-in-the-Right-Direction.

Sooner or later, like it or not, you'll emerge from The Fits. And, if you've not totally vacated your senses you'll slowly regain your wits.

Still Kicking, Screaming, and Resisting Change?

What's with our human nature that has this irretrievable urge to throw huge
Resistance-To-Change Tantrums!

We're talking about stark, staring, and wild-eyed RTC Hissy-fits.

None of us are immune. At one time or another, the RTC syndrome has infected us all. Now, for a fortunate few, the seizures only last a short time.

For the unfortunate few, it's chronic and incurable.

That leaves the rest of us — the Great Unwashed Majority (GUM) — meekly drifting about the Sea of Change trying to find sushi and a bowl of rice.

One would think sometime between today and the time Lucy walked about Ethiopia (around 1,800,000 years ago) mankind would GET USED TO CHANGE. At least a tad.

NO WAY!

Seemingly, all the "tads" in history haven't made a dent into Man's recalcitrant and irretrievable urge to continue walking bent-over and backward into the future.

Pitiful sight, that.

Resisting change as if nothing ever changes. (Change exists, but "nothing" doesn't.)

WHY? Let's think for a moment. During the Cave Man epoch, life did not change much.

Manly Thing Awakes

Way long ago, snarky-snoring Caveman awakes,

shuffles about,
fertilizes plants,
scans horizon,
sees food,
sniffs wind,
stalks stealthily,
kills Bambi,
boogie-hustles back to cave.

On arrival, Manly Thing dramatically dumps lifeless Bambi to ground and loudly whoops for all to hear —

"WOMAN, COOK!"

Well, ladies, some long-overdue changes

take eons, doesn't it?

However, during long, dark, and frightful nights, Caveman often slept fitfully, restlessly, and lightly. He had little choice. Here's why:

Periodically, scary nocturnal interruptions rudely visited the somewhat brave hearts. We're talking untoward surprise visits by rude Grunting Things like large, ornery, and stinky BEARS.

"Make my night, you juicy homo sapiens." [A little Stinky Bear Talk.]

This often resulted in substantial -- and immediate -- fertilizer deposits.

A certified Manly action.

Of course, this was the beginning of energetic and spastic Quick Thinking.

It was time to haul carcass. Get going. Move out. Move on. And, do it ASAP!

A new concept sizzled within the brain of Manly Thing. Simply put:

Necessity is the solvent that dissipates laziness.

Over time, it finally dawned on Manly Thing that grunting and hand-draggin' stuff around was way tiresome.

It was time to INVENT SCIENCE.

Some adopted science
sooner than others.

"What's A Girl To Do" Continues ....