IQ Tip: Conventional Wisdom

Written by Kim Allen Thursday, 02 February 2012 12:03

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Americans’ stress is down for the first time in five years and at its lowest point since 2007! It must be true; I read it on the Internet!1

Well, the truthful truth is we’ve all just adapted to stress; it’s become normal operating procedure.

The dictionary defines ‘normal’ as average, regular or standard. When something is normal, it’s what happens, on average, most of the time. And a lot of us are stressed most of the time. Whether it’s the traffic, deadlines or annoying people, we’ve all grown accustomed to a 24/7 stressful way of life.

If you’re familiar with HeartMath’s emWave® heart rhythm devices, you know it’s possible to see in real time how emotions have a profound and quick impact on the heart’s rhythm. When the emotion is a stressful one, the heart’s rhythmic pattern becomes chaotic and jagged.

On the other hand, during positive emotional states this rhythmic pattern becomes ordered and you achieve a state scientist's call 'physiological coherence'. Coherence not only feels better than stress, it’s the body’s natural way of rejuvenating itself: innate, untreated, and unaffected. As a matter of fact, overnight, during brief periods of deep sleep, the heart’s rhythm will naturally go into coherence. While coherence may be natural it’s not normal for a lot of people and could be one reason a lot of people are not sleeping as well as they used to!

Here’s one easy baby step: Remember or recall a person or thing or time in your life that brings a smile to your face! Start with life’s little stressors first: The next time you’re anxiously sitting in traffic, for example; or impatiently waiting on line at the grocery store. With practice, you’ll be able to make the shift during more challenging situations.

Natural can be your new normal.

1 - http://alturl.com/4c7e7

Take care,
Kim Allen