Today, many of us could teach those rats a thing or two. We're working longer hours than our parents ever did--the equivalent of an extra month a year. Meanwhile, we're cramming too much stuff into our dwindling leisure hours; our weekends disappear as we run errands, do the laundry, cook dinner, and pay the bills. And then we feel guilty when we can't find the time to stay in close touch with family, nurture friendships, keep up with our reading, throw dinner parties, volunteer at the local soup kitchen--not to mention exercise.
Much of the stress in our daily lives is self-inflicted. We decide how busy we want to be. We decide what's important in our lives. Sure, occasional pressure can spur us into action, motivate us to do our best work.
For a person with a disability, stress can be compounded by the added challenge of everyday tasks. In a different article, I talked about how long it took me to get ready for work in the morning. Many have the same battle just to get dressed in the morning. Bob Dole, retired republican senator, needs extra time just to get dressed because of the limited use he has in his left hand. He takes pride in doing it himself instead of giving in and letting his wife help.
But too much stress can take a serious toll on our happiness and our health. It can interfere with sleep, cause headaches and backaches, and eventually lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression. Stress-related symptoms including compulsive eating, excessive drinking, loneliness, boredom, and forgetfulness, now account for about 60 percent of visits to primary-care physicians.
Just how does stress make us sick? Why would getting steamed in a traffic jam lead to a heart attack? The "fight or flight" chemicals that flood the body when it's under stress provide a quick supply of oxygen and energy--a necessity when our ancestors battled enemies or fled from hungry animals but not especially useful during rush hour traffic.
The consequences of stress, however, aren't confined to physical health problems. Perhaps worst of all, stress can spoil the simple pleasures of life itself. Preoccupied with the deadlines and tensions of work, we become oblivious to a sensational sunset; too distracted to enjoy our daughter's performance in the school play; too frazzled to savor the tangy flavor of an orange sorbet.
The first step to reducing stress is adjusting how you think, feel, and react to the events in your life. After all, it's not the event itself that's stressful, but your perception of it. Looking at a glass of water, the person with a positive attitude will say it's half full while the person with a negative attitude will say it's half empty. Your attitude is everything when it comes to handling stress.