The 10-Step Method of Stress Relief: Decoding the Meaning and Significance of Stress PDF

Preface

Welcome Reader!

You are about to embark on an important journey into an area of human endeavor that, before now, was only a hunch or hope: expanded brain power and stress relief, which many great minds have been able to achieve. It is no secret that the full potential of the human brain is untapped in the course of our daily lives and that even the scope of possibilities available to us represents an unmapped territory of infinite dimension. So it should come as no surprise that the stress we confront in our lives—from the daily search for car keys to the fear of losing a job to the death of a loved one—is not given the full benefit of our problem-solving and coping abilities.

One of the most perplexing human challenges is the imposition and perplexity of stress on our lives, our relationships, our work, and our happiness. And, while there are easily hundreds of books available to teach us how to feel better in our stressful world, they focus mainly on our response to stress and the symptomatic relief of stress, instead of on the source and the function of stress. That can create, at the very least, a cyclical or repetitive pattern of negative feelings, anxieties, and fears that must be addressed again and again. It could also ignore the important perceptual/informational and protective function of stress.

By the time you finish this book and gain a fuller understanding of how stress works, it is hoped that you may be able to view your stress feelings as a friend who is only carrying out a perceptual function and urgently attempting to gain your attention. The often-noxious quality of stress feelings collaborate with their goal of winning your attention. To what end? That you may be protected from harm and other less-than-optimal conditions. This takes place by a remarkable and responsive process within your own body. When you recognize how creative and informative stress feelings can be, you may be prompted to comment: My stress feelings really look out for me. Their constant watchfulness seems to say "You are being loved, warned and protected by a dear friend."

On the other hand, if we do not understand why stress feelings exist and how they function, we can be overwhelmed by them. We can jeopardize our ability to function effectively, make ourselves ill by physical hyper-reactions, render ourselves ineffective by paralysis of thought processes, and lose a sense of integration with the world around us.

The Percept Method^® , developed by the author and detailed in this book, provides a new process in the traditional stress management model. It engages the intellectual problem-solving energies of your brain to accurately identify the source of stress—the stressor. The brain has the capacity to char- acterize the stressor in terms of how important the problem is, how much attention it deserves, what there is about the stressor that actually causes the problem, what the actual feelings associated with the stress are (depression, anger, suspicion, worry, apprehension), and what resources will be appropriate and successful in helping to resolve the problem.

The benefits can be both immediate and focused on the present challenge— stress management—while also offering a path to expanded brain power by utilizing unused reserves in the brain. In addition, with essential behavioral reeducation, you can also learn to retrain your sympathetic nervous system to respond more appropriately to a stressor.

One caution however: The Percept Method isn't a quick fix. You will be asked to work hard, and the more stressful the problem, the harder the work may be. But, the rewards are commensurate with the energy you invest, increasing your efficiency and success in coping with the challenges you face.

You will be asked to sharpen your perceptive skills, as Dr. William Osler asked the young doctors who studied with him over a century ago. Largely because of Dr. Osler 's "observation methods," which became widely adopted by clinics and hospitals across the country, American medicine was revolutionized and became a model for the world. Under the tutelage of Dr. Osler, the young doctors were taught "to use their senses in a simple and orderly manner" (Bliss, 1999). His "observation classes" elevated perception to an art. Now, you can apply the same principles of perception to self-observation, self-monitoring, and self-help, just as the young doctors were taught to apply those skills to others.

Accurate perception and identification of the stressor along with accurate perception and self-monitoring of stress feelings are fundamental principles of The Percept Method. Attempting to manage stress without accurate identification of the stressor is like erecting a building on an unsound foundation or establishing a thesis with erroneous assumptions. To pursue that course is to be like the "man who built his house on sand" (Matthew, 7:26).

Without accurate self-monitoring, stress feelings cannot be readily perceived in their initial stage. These feelings can then escalate and become prolonged in their effort to gain your attention. In the meantime, they can often cause needless physical harm.

Various modalities or therapies may assist you to manage stress, but the answers and abilities are usually within you. Do not hesitate to use whatever professional, pastoral, or natural help is necessary to bring out your inner answers. And, should you be in counseling or therapy, it could be helpful to discuss the various premises and your questions with your trusted advisor.

Further, this Method is not intended for individuals who are required to take psychoactive prescription medications, who have Sensory Integrative Dysfunction, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or any psychiatric disorder.