{"id":7371,"date":"2019-10-05T22:20:15","date_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/05\/stress-spirituality-part-1\/"},"modified":"2019-10-05T22:20:15","modified_gmt":"2019-10-05T22:20:15","slug":"stress-spirituality-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/stress-spirituality-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Stress  Spirituality  Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><body>&#13;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">&#13;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\">&#13;<br \/>\n  <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/abbtop.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"120\"\/><\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.website.ws\/kvmlm2\/my.dhtml?sponsor=geekzonehostingcom&amp;bannercode=gif002&amp;language=english\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.website.ws\/images\/english\/banners\/kvmlm2\/468x60_02.gif\" border=\"0\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<table width=\"800\" border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5\">\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t  &#13;<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t     <script type=\"text\/javascript\"><![CDATA[<!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-5712520513640847\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 728;\ngoogle_ad_height = 90;\ngoogle_ad_format = \"728x90_as\";\ngoogle_ad_type = \"text_image\";\ngoogle_ad_channel =\"\";\ngoogle_color_border = \"336699\";\ngoogle_color_bg = \"FFFFFF\";\ngoogle_color_link = \"0000FF\";\ngoogle_color_url = \"008000\";\ngoogle_color_text = \"000000\";\n\/\/-->]]><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\"><![CDATA[\n         ]]><\/script>   &#13;<br \/>\n\t  \u00a0<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n    <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"260\" valign=\"top\">\n<p>\u00a0&#13;<br \/>\n\t  &#13;<br \/>\n\t  &#13;\n\t  <\/p>\n<div align=\"left\"><span class=\"style23\">&#13;<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\" class=\"style23\">Article Navigation <\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n        <a href=\"index.html\"><font size=\"3\">Back To &#13;<br \/>\n          Main Page <\/font> <\/a> &#13;<\/p>\n<p\/><\/span><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p align=\"left\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><![CDATA[<!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-5712520513640847\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 250;\ngoogle_ad_height = 250;\ngoogle_ad_format = \"250x250_as\";\ngoogle_ad_type = \"text\";\ngoogle_ad_channel =\"\";\ngoogle_color_border = \"FFFFFF\";\ngoogle_color_bg = \"FFFFFF\";\ngoogle_color_link = \"0000FF\";\ngoogle_color_url = \"008000\";\ngoogle_color_text = \"000000\";\n\/\/-->]]><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\"><![CDATA[\n            ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            \u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><b><a href=\"index.html\"><font size=\"4\">&#13;<br \/>\n      <span style=\"background-color: #FF6600\">Click Here<\/span><\/font><\/a><\/b><font size=\"4\"><span style=\"background-color: #FF6600\"> &#13;<br \/>\n      for more articles<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<td width=\"514\" valign=\"top\">\n<div align=\"left\">&#13;<\/p>\n<table width=\"99%\" height=\"114\">\n<tr>\n<td height=\"45\"><span class=\"style7\"><!-- Search Google -->&#13;<br \/>\n<center>&#13;<\/p>\n<form method=\"get\" action=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/custom\" target=\"_top\">&#13;<\/p>\n<table bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">\n<tr>\n<td nowrap=\"nowrap\" valign=\"top\" align=\"left\" height=\"32\">&#13;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/\">&#13;<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/logos\/Logo_25wht.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Google\" align=\"middle\" width=\"75\" height=\"32\"\/><\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n<input type=\"text\" name=\"q\" size=\"31\" maxlength=\"255\" value=\"\"\/><input type=\"submit\" name=\"sa\" value=\"Search\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"client\" value=\"pub-5712520513640847\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"forid\" value=\"1\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"ie\" value=\"ISO-8859-1\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"oe\" value=\"ISO-8859-1\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"cof\" value=\"GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:336699;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1;\"\/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"hl\" value=\"en\"\/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/form>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/center>&#13;<br \/>\n<!-- Search Google -->&#13;<br \/>\n<\/span><\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" height=\"22\">\n<div align=\"justify\"><span class=\"style7\">&#13;<br \/>\n                <font color=\"#FB7014\" size=\"4\" face=\"Tahoma\">Stress &amp; Spirituality, Part 1<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" height=\"19\">\n<div align=\"justify\"><span class=\"style2\">by: &#13;<br \/>\n                <font size=\"3\" face=\"Times New Roman\" color=\"#FB7014\">Tanja Gardner<\/font><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n            <\/tr>\n<tr>\n<div id=\"article\">\n<td align=\"left\" height=\"12\"><span class=\"style2\">Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner<\/p>\n<p>Stress &amp; Spirituality \u0096 How Spirituality Affects Stress Levels<\/p>\n<p>Take a moment to close your eyes and think about what a \u0091spiritual\u0092 person looks like.  Whether you see them as sitting lotus-style in saffron robes or speaking emphatically from a pulpit, I\u0092d bet one thing you won\u0092t see them as is \u0091stressed\u0092.  Relaxed\u0085 serene\u0085 beatific. These are all adjectives we associate with the super-spiritual. But stressed?  Kind of defeats the purpose of all that spirituality, doesn\u0092t it?<\/p>\n<p>I\u0092m going to take a moment here to make the all-important distinction between religion and spirituality.  Different people have different definitions of each, but for the purposes of this article, it\u0092s important to be clear about what I mean by each term. A religion is a codified set of beliefs and practices shared by adherents. Spirituality, by contrast, is about an individual\u0092s relationship with Spirit (however they might see it) and their connection with their own spiritual aspect. Please note that the two concepts can co-exist, but that religion doesn\u0092t have to be spiritual, and equally, spirituality doesn\u0092t need to be religious.<\/p>\n<p>In this article, I want to focus on spirituality, rather than religion.  If you do follow an organised religion, feel free to apply the information to your own spiritual path. If not, I invite you to keep in mind the difference between religion and spirituality as you read.  This is because there\u0092s a great deal of evidence that a healthy spiritual belief system can both help lessen the impact some of our stressors have on us, and deal with the consequences of our stress responses.  The first half of this article covers some of the suggested reasons for this, while the second (which will appear in the next issue of Optimum Stress News) explores how we can use this link to help with our stress management.<\/p>\n<p>SUPPORT NETWORKS<\/p>\n<p>Most stressors seem bigger and more difficult to deal with if we\u0092re feeling isolated and as though we\u0092re dealing with them alone.  Knowing that we belong to and can connect with a group of people who care, and who can offer solace, strength and possibly even solutions, can do much to offset that feeling.  And interestingly enough, that sense of belonging doesn\u0092t necessarily have to be to a group of people.  If we see the natural world as something we can interact with, or Spirit or our Higher Selves as beings with whom we can talk, then they can become part of our support just as much as actual people could.<\/p>\n<p>PERSPECTIVE<\/p>\n<p>In the thousand and one things we all have to do to keep up with the demands work, study, family, and friends; problems that would seem fairly minor if they attacked us one-by-one can seem unbearably huge.  At such times, believing in something bigger than ourselves (or bigger than the day-to-day self who has to deal with all of these problems) can sometimes help to shrink our stressors back down to something approaching a manageable size.<\/p>\n<p>MEANING<\/p>\n<p>It\u0092s a hard thing to accept when we\u0092re going through tough periods, but it\u0092s not the things that happen to us that upset us. What upsets us is the meanings we give those events.  For example, if I\u0092ve just failed a job interview, it\u0092s not actually failing the interview that\u0092s upset me \u0096 it\u0092s all the things I\u0092ve made it mean.  Perhaps, in my mind, it means I\u0092ll never get a job, that I\u0092m just no good at interviews, that I\u0092ll always be broke, or even that I\u0092m a useless person in all areas of my life.  Whatever it might be, unless I had my heart set on that specific job, it\u0092s unlike to just be the interview results.  When this happens, a sense of spirituality can help me to look for positive meanings in seemingly negative events \u0096 enabling me to ask what I can learn, or how I can grow stronger, instead of asking why it\u0092s always me that gets dumped on.<\/p>\n<p>SPACE &amp; STILLNESS<\/p>\n<p>Something most spiritual systems emphasise is the need for time spent by ourselves in quiet and stillness.  In this still space, our minds &#8211; weary of thoughts rushing around at breakneck speed \u0096 can find rest. The time alone can be spent meditating, praying, or just listening and appreciating what is there around and within us in that given moment.  The form doesn\u0092t matter \u0096 whatever is right for you is what\u0092s right for you.  It\u0092s the peace and respite we\u0092re accessing \u0096 the simple \u0091time out\u0092 that makes this so helpful for stress management.<\/p>\n<p>These are just four of the possible suggested ways that developing a personal spirituality can help in keeping our stress at optimum levels.  In Part 2, we\u0092ll look at how we can start to develop the kind of spirituality that\u0092s true to our own individual values, and how to make use of it as a tool for managing stress.  If you have any questions or comments on the first half of the article, please don\u0092t hesitate to contact me. Otherwise, until the next issue, may every day bring you closer to your optimum life.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n About the author:<br \/>&#13;<br \/>\n &#13;<br \/>\n  Optimum Life&#8217;s Tanja Gardner is a Stress Management Coach and Personal Trainer whose articles on holistic health, relaxation and spirituality have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. For more information please visit check out <a href=\"http:\/\/optimumlife.co.nz,\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"navigation\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">http:\/\/optimumlife.co.nz,<\/a>or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz. <\/p>\n<p><font size=\"-2\">Circulated by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.geekzonehosting.com\">GeekZoneHosting.Com &#8211; Register a domain name and get hosting for your own Adsense Website just like this one<\/a><\/font>&#13;<\/p>\n<hr size=\"-1\"\/><\/span><\/td>\n<p>&#13;\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p align=\"left\">\u00a0        <\/p>\n<p>&#13;\n      <\/td>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n    <\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<hr width=\"800\" noshade=\"noshade\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/ADSENSEWEBSITES\">RETURN TO ADSENSE BUSINESS-IN-A-BOX MASTER ARTICLE INDEX<\/a><\/p>\n<hr width=\"800\" noshade=\"noshade\"\/>\n<div class=\"fb-share-button\" data-href=\"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/\" data-layout=\"button\" data-size=\"large\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fon-line-interactivity.com%2F&amp;src=sdkpreparse\" class=\"fb-xfbml-parse-ignore\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Share<\/a><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<div id=\"fb-root\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n<script async=\"\" defer=\"defer\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v4.0&amp;appId=103650273035821&amp;autoLogAppEvents=1\"\/><!-- End of FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON CODE --><span class=\"style6\"><br \/><span class=\"style2\">\u00a92019 - All Rights Reserved by <a href=\"http:\/\/HelpMeFindFreedom.Online\">HelpMeFindFreedom.Online<\/a><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.website.ws\/kvmlm2\/my.dhtml?sponsor=geekzonehostingcom&amp;bannercode=gif002&amp;language=english\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.website.ws\/images\/english\/banners\/kvmlm2\/468x60_02.gif\" border=\"0\"\/><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/body><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; \u00a0 &#13; \u00a0&#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Article Navigation &#13; Back To &#13; Main Page &#13; &#13; &#13; \u00a0 &#13; Click Here &#13; for more articles &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Stress &amp; Spirituality, Part 1 &#13; by: &#13; Tanja [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adsense-business-in-a-box"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7371\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/on-line-interactivity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}