Psychology for Living
Gwen Randall-Young Written Sept. 1, 2006
Slowing Down
For fast-acting relief, try slowing down. ~Lily Tomlin
Stress and tension are ubiquitous in our culture, so much so that even teens and young children suffer from it. There are two major factors which contribute to this. One is time pressure, the other, lack of sufficient rest.
Notice how so many use the word “busy” to characterize their lives. “Busy” translates into many things to do, and often, conflicting demands. Parents have work, meetings, social obligations, exercise or classes. Children have school, homework, extracurricular lessons, sports activities, and time with friends. Add to this, for both children and adults, time on computers, video games and television.
All of this results in a sense of time being “squeezed”: so much to do, so little time. This results in anxiety, tension and stress. All of these activities also overflow into the evening hours. We were not built to function this way. In the days before electricity, humans slept when the sun went down, and awakened when it came up. The ending of the day, as light was fading, was a time for winding down. It was a time for reflection, or communication with loved ones.
Often, in modern day families, the family members are scattered in different rooms, doing their own thing, or sitting in front of the television until it is “time” to go to bed. Tiredness, or the body’s own signals of a need for rest are often ignored.
It is easy for us to blame “life” for our stresses, but we do have the choice to alter its pace and to honor the body’s rhythms.
Gwen RandallYoung is an author and Registered Psychologist in private practice. She is the recipient of the Psychologist's Association of Alberta John G. Paterson award (2003) for excellence in portraying psychological knowledge to the public. Visit her website wwww.gwen.ca or contact her directly: gwendall@shaw.ca Books and CDS available online.
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