I love TED talks, and recently I watched one that I thought was amazing. Health psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains that it isn't actually stress that is harmful on the body, but rather the perception that stress is harmful. And that when stress is viewed this way, it has the same effect on the blood vessels as someone exercising or experiencing extreme joy. Woah, right?
Even though I never want stress, next time I am stressed out I will just remember - this is good for me :)
This comes down to the ultimate truth that everyone creates their own reality by what they believe is real. So nothing new, except for the little reminder not to believe anything can harm you. Reminds me of the former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt who is a strong smoker, he is the only one who is allowed to smoke in public places where it's prohibited, and he turns to be 95 years old in December. He certainly doesn't believe that smoking harms him, or he would have died several decades ago.
ReplyDeleteI think it's so important to take care of ourselves, but not to be consumed by it. Life's a balance. I have learned in the last few years that our health and the way we care for our bodies never guarantees we will live long lives. We don't know how much time we have, so we should make the most of what we do have! :)
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