How to better handle stress in your life

What is the role of stress in your life? Do you have too much of it? Do you manage it well? Do you avoid it all together?

Stress, left unmanaged and misunderstood,  is both a silent killer of the body and the spirit. Stress, in the proper amounts and combined with the appropriate rest, is also the source of all your mental and physical growth. 

Spending time with my 3 month old baby Francis is like getting to a watch a growth machine. A baby’s life is rapid growth and a constant cycle of physical and mental stress and rest leading to extreme amounts of growth from a blob to a functioning human being. 

Watching him struggle with basic tasks like raising his head and rolling over and even just moving his arms and legs reminds me that stress isn’t something to be avoided, but something to embrace. 

Master stress in your life by doing two things.

1. Build rest in to your stressful life. Stress + rest = progress. Stress on it’s own equals burnout and breakdown. 
   
2. Make your stress, and the stress of those you manage (either personally or professionally) just outside of their comfort zone. Too much stress at one time leads to broken down bodies or morale. Just the right amount of stress keeps you growing and progressing in your personal and professional life. If you or someone under you is faltering or withdrawing from life or their work, you’re probably not giving them the appropriate challenges. ​