More Energy, Less Stress

Brought to you by the Stress Management Society and E Rejuvenation Centre

What is stress?

We usually feel relaxed and balanced when we can handle all the demands of our everyday life. We feel stressed when we cannot handle everything we need to do. This often occurs when we experience change in our life. A simple definition of stress is “not having enough energy to meet the demands of life”.

If the demands of our life increase while our energy level stays the same we begin to feel stressed. For example it is common to experience stress when organising a large event such as a wedding because there is much more to do than usual. Being promoted or starting a new job often causes stress because there are new and
unfamiliar demands on us.

We also experience stress when we are unsure about the future, for example if we are facing the possibility of redundancy, because we are trying to cope with the everyday demands of a job as well as think about what to
do if we lose our job.

We also experience stress when our energy level drops but the demands of life stay the same. This is most commonly caused by failing health. If we are sick even slight demands can be highly stressful.

What is energy?

Energy is our life force. It is the difference between being alive and dead. It is what makes us...

• ...feel inspired, ambitious and positive rather than bored, unmotivated and negative.
  
• ...jump out of bed in the morning and look forward to the day ahead
  
• ...keep healthy and active
  
• ...able and confident to work
  
• ...able to attract relationships and friendships
  

When we are full of energy we are healthy and happy and we can handle any challenge. When we lack energy we feel tired, sluggish and find it difficult to solve problems.

Energy and health

Our energy level affects our health. A sick person is able to do very little and may need other people to care for them. A healthy person is much more active, makes more contribution to society and is able to support and care for other people. The essential difference between these two is their energy capacity, or their life capacity. One has much more energy, or capacity for life, than the other.

Energy and money

Our energy also affects our financial capacity. The owner of a small business can provide a living for their family and a few staff. They provide products or services for a limited number of clients. Compare this with the CEO of a global corporation who has overall responsibility for providing salaries for thousands of staff and their families; they also provide services or products for millions of customers and profit to shareholders. The small business owner would not have the capacity to run a global company because s/he does not have the energy capacity, or life capacity, to handle that level of demand.

It is not easy to measure the energy capacity of a human being, but it is possible to assess it to some extent by a person’s ‘life output’ – ie their productivity and contribution at work, in the family and in the wider society.

Energy, health and stress

The World Health Organization defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. Under this definition we can picture a healthy person as a person who is full of energy or has sufficient energy to meet all the demands of their life. Therefore a healthy person does not suffer from stress.

The symptoms of stress act as an early warning system. They signal an imbalance between our energy and the demands of our life. They tell us that we are getting out of balance. If the imbalance continues or gets worse we run the risk of getting sick in the future.

How can we reduce stress?

There are two ways to reduce stress.
1. Reduce the demands on your life.
2. Increase your energy.

Reducing the demand is usually the first and most common response to stress – I’m doing too much, I need to cut down”. However this is rarely the most effective strategy. Whilst it can be useful to cut out unnecessary or unwanted activities reducing demand can eventually lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction. Each time you reduce a demand you eliminate a challenge from your life. If you do this too often your life gradually becomes less challenging and less productive. For example if you decide not to go for promotion because you want to avoid stress you lose an opportunity to develop yourself. If you cut down on your hobbies or social life because you have a demanding job you may feel you are missing out on something valuable to you.

The second option is much more positive – increase your energy so you can handle more demands. This gives you the chance to increase your capacity and to handle a richer and more interesting life.

Why increase your energy?

There are many positive demands in life which we welcome, even though they often cause stress, for example being promoted, expanding business, getting married or having children. If we want to handle these demands without stress we need to increase our energy capacity to keep up.

Some demands are more negative, for example when we experience financial problems, business problems, relationship problems or health problems. They often cause high levels of stress. However if we have more energy we can avoid some of these problems and reduce others.

Some negative demands cannot be avoided, but may cause severe stress, for example bereavement or family sickness. At these difficult times it is important to take care of our energy to minimise the stress as much as possible.

If you increase your energy you increase your capacity for life and you are more positive and confident. You can handle more challenges and you feel satisfied because you are able to handle your life better. You experience more, achieve more and enjoy life more.

How to increase your energy?

There are many ways to increase energy. All of them will help to reduce or prevent stress.

1. Eat healthy food
You can find advice about healthy eating habits on many websites and in books.

2. Get quality sleep
It is better for your energy to be asleep by 11pm and to get up early every day. If you have problems sleeping you should relax before sleep, rather than reading or watching television.

3. Maintain a regular and healthy lifestyle
It is best to eat regularly, drink plenty of water every day. Ideally breakfast should be the most important meal of the day and you should eat lightly in the evening. Avoid excessive alcohol and caffeine and cut out smoking as they are all stimulants which will create more stress in our life.

4. Exercise regularly
Regular aerobic exercise helps your energy circulate which is essential for avoiding stress. 40 minutes a day walking will be very beneficial.

5. Take up relaxation or meditation
This is a direct way to increase your energy levels and reduce stress. It is highly effective for reducing and preventing health problems.

6. Be positive
Positive attitudes attract positive energy, negative attitudes attract negative energy. Learning how to change emotional behaviour to become peaceful, happy and positive is a powerful way to release stress and handle more challenges in life.

7. Develop an inspiring life goal
This is the most powerful way of increasing energy, but it requires a disciplined lifestyle and a lot of hard work to achieve an inspiring goal. Although big goals may appear to create more stress, the inspiration of working on something you believe in provides a constant source of energy and motivation. When you are inspired pressure transforms into an opportunity for development.

Note: It is recommended that you get professional guidance or teaching for each of these steps, so you can avoid problems and find the best solution to suit your lifestyle and budget.

Finally

Lack of energy is the primary factor that causes stress and your ability to manage multiple life demands, whether at work, home or a combination of both. Stress is a sign that you do not have enough energy to manage all the demands of your life. When you start to feel the symptoms of stress it is time to do something about your energy. The sooner you go into action the better. Preventing stress prevents later disease, unhappiness and dissatisfaction.

Having a good level of energy makes you feel:

• Positive
  
• Motivated
  
• Confident
  
• Focussed
  
• Relaxed
  

It gives you the belief to be able to achieve whatever you want.
Sarah McCrum, E Rejuvenation Consultant
For more information visit www.erejuvenation.co.uk

Contacts

Stress Management Society
Tel: 08701 999 235
Email: info@stress.org.uk
Website: www.stress.org.uk
Shop: www.feelkarma.com

E Rejuvenation Centre
Tel: 020 7650 0718
Email: info@erejuvenation.co.uk
Website: www.erejuvenation.co.uk

Sarah McCrum
E Rejuvenation Consultant
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