Desserts spelled backwards..

Found the following note from Kim Allen in my inbox this morning. I think that it is a good reminder to get rid of the things in our lives that stress us out.

Before you can do anything about your stress, you first have to admit you have it. I know. Everybody talks about how stressed they are. But a lot of people are also convinced that there's such a thing as 'good stress' and they need it to get the job done.

But think about it. Literally, the term good stress could be considered an oxymoron: a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in "cruel kindness" or "to make haste slowly".

Why so? Because, bio-chemically speaking, feeling good is very different than feeling stressed!

Positive (good!) emotions like appreciation, joy and compassion are internal energy boosters. They create a cascade of bio-chemicals that nourish your cells. They can prevent fatigue and slow down the aging process. They can regenerate and sustain you mentally, emotionally and physically.

Compare that to what happens when you're experiencing emotional stress, like worry, anger, anxiety or frustration. These negative (not so good!) emotions change the bio-chemical mix to one that can, over time, accelerate your biological aging clock, drain your emotional buoyancy and reduce physical vitality.

What's more important, saying stress is good may be preventing you from doing anything about it.