'IMAGINE' LESS STRESS
By Mario A. Mancini, O.M.D.

In the movie “Up In The Air” the main character goes around doing motivational speeches with a backpack. He uses the backpack as a visualization tool. He asks his audience to imagine wearing the backpack and then loading it up with all the stuff in their lives. He asks them to start with the small stuff on their shelves and then add the big stuff like their house and car. As soon as everything is stuffed in he asks them to feel the weight of the backpack on their shoulders. Then he tells them that they are going to set the backpack on fire. He asks them to choose the few things that they would quickly remove from the backpack. What would it be? What is most important? Is the rest just stuff? It made me think.

After that he asks them to put the people and relationships they have into the backpack and feel the weight of it all (with no fire this time). If you think about the emotional weight that we all tend to take on day in and day out in physical terms things can get pretty heavy. If you really think about it, the weight of that backpack is too much for anyone to bear.

What’s in your backpack?

Now, I am not saying to throw out those relationships or those things you have worked so hard to attain. But use this analogy as a practice in visualization to reduce stress.

For those of you who have not come to one of my Peak Performance workshops, visualization does not require a lotus pose and humming – it is simply the practice of using your imagination. If you doubt your ability, think about the last time you saw a scary movie. I’ll bet you double-checked the locks on the doors and pulled your covers up tight that night. We all visualize and when you combine our imagination with emotion, the brain has a hard time distinguishing what is real and what is imagined.

If you are willing to give it a try, sit comfortably and close your eyes (so that you are not distracted). Think about all the things that are stressing you out right now (all the past and future worries) and let them flood your mind for a moment. Push them all into that backpack and feel the weight of it all at once (just for a moment, though; we don’t want to cause a panic attack). Then visualize yourself taking one item at a time out of the backpack, tie each one to a balloon and release it “up in the air.” It might sound silly but if you really let yourself feel the experience of letting go of your worries, you will reduce stress on your body and mind.

Yes, it takes practice. Yes, you may look down to see that everything you thought you let go is still sitting in that backpack. Just keep going until you feel a sense of relief. The time you spend will reduce each time as it gets easier to let things go and focus on the present. There is no stress right here right now as you read this e-mail. There is no threat to your survival if you are sitting at a desk somewhere with a computer. I know you know that, but take a minute to review your situation. Are your shoulders tensed up around your ears? Are your teeth or lips clenched? Are you crouched over in a protective pose? Are you holding your breath? These are all signals that your body is under stress. Your brain thinks that you are reading this e-mail in a lion’s den and so your body is getting ready to take a bite or run for your life. Take a deep breath in through your nose, close your eyes and relax your shoulders and neck. Do this several times during each day. Set an alarm on your phone or computer so that you don’t miss the opportunity to re-ground yourself in THE NOW. It only takes a minute or less to stop, breathe and focus. Trust me, it will make all the difference in the way you see your life and your ability to handle your day.

Visualization is just one strategy to STOMP OUT STRESS. Please join us this month in the lobby for other games, challenges and relaxation exercises. If you can’t make it in look for articles and notes at our Web site: centerforintegrativecare.com/patients.html. Judianne will update them during April so ask her about more info.

FACTS ABOUT STRESS According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, two-thirds of office visits to family doctors are for stress-related symptoms. Almost everyone experiences events that they find difficult to cope with. In a recent poll, 89 percent of people said they had experienced serious stress in their lives. A recent study indicated that stress-management programs may reduce the risk of heart problems, including heart attack, by up to 75 percent in people with heart disease. Stress-related mental disorders have been called the fastest-growing occupational (work-related) disease in the U.S. Source: ehealthmd.com