Top Stressors to Stop Worrying About

Ever notice how a "bug" is going around your office and some people get sick and some don't? Or it knocks some folks out for two weeks while others are good as new in 24 hours? The strength of our immune system is related to many factors, but one of them is definitely stress. Worry and stress can literally steal resources that could be better used fighting off disease and keeping you healthy. And stress not only depletes immunity, it also shortens your life and shrinks your brain. Here are some things you can officially take off your list of things to stress about! Aren't you glad you asked?

1. Your Cholesterol: Though it gets the lion's share of attention, cholesterol is only one of many measurements, and it may be far less predictive of heart disease than was previously believed. Look at the whole picture of risks: your triglycerides (under 100 is great), your HDL (60 for men, 40 for women or better), and the ratio of triglycerides to HDL. That last ratio predicts heart disease way better than cholesterol (you'd like it to be 40 or less). And five basic habits reduce heart disease and death many times more than lowering cholesterol does: stop smoking, maintain a healthy weight, exercise, eating fish, vegetables and nuts, and drinking alcohol very moderately.

2. Your Performance: Whether in the boardroom, the bedroom or the tennis court, worries about performance never accomplish anything except to make things worse. While focus on goals can be a healthy thing, it can also keep you from being present in the moment and enjoying the process. An exclusive concern with how things are going to turn out keeps you from actually getting better at what you're doing because your mind is too busy judging your performance. Sometimes the best way to get somewhere is the slow scenic route. Not only do you arrive, but you get to enjoy the trip.

3. The Past: There are three important things to know about the past. One, it's over. Two, you can't change it. And three, the only thing keeping it alive is the energy you put into holding on to it. Letting go of the past can be one of the most liberating events in your life. It means allowing what was to be what it was -- and also, what it was not. It doesn't necessarily mean forgetting, but it does mean forgiving -- both yourself and others.

4. Your Fat Intake: Walter Willett, MD, PhD, the head of the Harvard School of Public Health, has said that the percentage of fat in the diet is not associated with any health outcome ever studied. The type of fat, and the type of carbohydrate, however, is. If you dump the trans fats, keep calories reasonably low, and eat as little sugar and processed foods as you can, the percentage of fat in your diet is irrelevant. Really!

5. Getting Sick: The study of the way our thoughts and feelings interact with our brain chemistry and our immune system has given birth to a whole new science: psychoneuroimmnology. The take-home message is that it's all related. Studies show that people are far more resilient when they're in a crisis than they thought they would be. If you get sick, you'll deal with it -- probably better than you thought you would. Meanwhile, take the best care of yourself possible, and let the cards fall where they may.

6. Your Limits: Stress comes not from our limits but from the stories we tell ourselves about those limits. We make ourselves miserable by thinking we should be doing so much better than we are. Examples: the assistant who thinks she should be boss by now, the tennis player who thinks he should be serving 140 miles an hour, or the dieter who thinks she should have lost 50 pounds by Tuesday. Embracing your own limitations is part of the process of growing and becoming better. At the very least, it will make you happier to live in your own shoes at the moment. Remember the saying "Progress, not perfection." Wisdom begins when you realize that the perfect moment is the one you're in.

7. Having It All: One of the most destructive myths of the past few decades has been this one: You can have it all. You can't. You can't spend eight hours a day of quality time with your infant and be on the fast track to make partner in a law firm that requires 100 hour weeks. But that's not bad news. When any road is possible, we often take none, or if we do take one, we worry constantly that it was the wrong choice. Relax. Wisdom and happiness begin when you make a commitment, even if it means there are some things you won't do. Choose, choose wisely, and enjoy the process and the journey. You don't actually have to "have it all" to be happy. True happiness is possible when you're content with what you've chosen.

www.rimrockchiropractic.com