Feeling stressed out? Here's a different way of looking at it

When we talk about stress we assume that there are universal causes: Too much work, not enough money, arguements with our spouse, difficult children, you know what I mean...and therefore we are all equally troubled by these events.

But have you noticed that in practice, what seems like a major problem for one person, may be surmountable or even invigorating to the other? We all have a different genetic make-up, so therefore have unique personalities, strengths, weaknesses and motivators.

So, when we are dealing with our stress, we could look at our own attitudes and expectations in order to reframe them, rather than acting to change our circumstances, or medicating ourselves to blot out those bad feelings.

In my homeopathic practice, I look at the constitutional type of the person to get to the bottom of why a patient is stressed out or ill.

Here are some examples of more commonly seen types:

Think Alan Sugar or any alpha male entrepreneur - Very goal orientated and gets irritable when people get in the way of this. Although a stickler for politeness can't always empathise with others. Gets bored and impatient when he has nothing to do. This constitutional type is Nux.Vomica who have the tendency to get headaches, irritablity, excema, allergies and digestive problems and strong craving for stimulants when they are worn out.
or

Think Harry Potter or Pat Butcher of Eastenders (or anyone in Eastenders!) - People who carry emotional wounds from childhood, but put on a brave face. Sometimes they have a hard exterior to protect their vulnerability inside. They tend to make themselves responsible for other people's welfare and can be seen in caring professions. Problems arise when their emotional strength gets the better of them, and they could end up suffering from depression or anxiety. Phyically they can tend towards migrains or recurrent colds/chest infections. This constitutional type is Natrium Mur.

or

Think "Winnie the Pooh" - Someone who is concerned about comfort and security. May choose careers in finance or the building industry. Their personal lives are emotionally balanced, but tend towards caution when dealing with 'worldly matters'. Stress comes about when their security is threatened in some way, which in children could be something as simple as moving house. Physically fairly robust but have a slow metabolism, so they could have weight problems. This type is Calc. Carb.

Maybe you recognise yourself or others that you know in one of these profiles - although they are broad brushstrokes, hopefully they illustrate how we can all get stressed out in different ways, depending on which lens we hold up to the world. Our stress, however, gives us the opportunity to look at and revise our own beliefs which in turn, enables our personal growth.

Here's a simple exercise that you may find useful when you're feeling stressed out:

The next time you feel overwhelmed by mental or physical stress, stop doing/thinking for a minute and ask yourself the following question: "what do I believe in this moment that is causing my stress?" Don't attempt to answer the question, remain still and allow some idea or answer to emerge by itself.

The last time I did this, I had an ache in my back, which was irritating me. I asked the question and the answer was that I thought I had done something wrong (which surprised me). When I realised that I did not have to carry on believing this, strange as it may seem, I felt a lot better!

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