1. < Mental Health
Mentor

How Spirituality Can Help Stress

Posted by Teresa, Volunteer Mentor @hopeful33250, Jul 11, 2017

I recently read an article from Mayo Clinic about Spirituality and Stress Relief. Here is how the article began:

"Some stress relief tools are very tangible: exercising more, eating healthy foods and talking with friends. A less tangible — but no less useful — way to find stress relief is through spirituality.

What is spirituality?

Spirituality has many definitions, but at its core spirituality helps to give your life context. It's not necessarily connected to a specific belief system or even religious worship. Instead, it arises from your connection with yourself and with others, the development of your personal value system, and your search for meaning in life.

For many, spirituality takes the form of religious observance, prayer, meditation or a belief in a higher power. For others, it can be found in nature, music, art or a secular community. Spirituality is different for everyone." The complete article can be found at http://mayocl.in/2u8FOTm.

How has spirituality helped you to deal with stress?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Mental Health Support Group.

pdilly | @pdilly | Jul 21, 2017
In reply to @contentandwell "@hopeful33250 @danybegood1 I find that you try to really "examine" each person you are friendly with..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@hopeful33250 @danybegood1 I find that you try to really "examine" each person you are friendly with and then you can know exactly how much to put into the friendship and what to expect. The woman I am most connected with I have come to realize is sort of a "fair weather friend". I enjoy her a lot but I now know better exactly what the friendship is. When I was sick she didn't call when I was recuperating. Her husband would call my husband occasionally but I never heard from her, she didn't visit me, nothing.
JK

Jump to this post

@IndianaScott , no apology necessary. It just made me sad to think of so many abandoning your family at a time when the need for support was so great.

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 21, 2017
In reply to @amberpep "Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like..." + (show)
@amberpep

Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like some input from anyone that has any insight into this. I've had depression and anxiety since I was an early teen and finally at age 45, I went to my doctor. She sent me to a Psychiatrist who put me on Zoloft. That was many, many, moons ago and I have a different Psychiatrist and now take meds. for Depression/Anxiety and Cyclothymia. I sleep great every night (my adult kids tell me I could sleep standing up!!!), but every morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor I feel this overwhelming anxiety and I don't know why. I slept well, was it dreams? I don't know what causes this, but I come right to the kitchen, take my meds. and within 45 min. it's gone. I just don't get why I wake up that way .... it doesn't make any sense to me. Input from anyone?
abby

Jump to this post

@blindeyepug Thanks, that trip is not until October. I get home on the 11th and then have a TKR on the 13th! I am really looking forward to Hawaii though, I have never been there. Having my son and his girlfriend with us this past week was fun partly because we talked about it and the things we would do. I am still amazed that our son wanted us to join them.
JK

REPLY
danybegood1 | @danybegood1 | Jul 21, 2017
In reply to @abida "I agree one hundred percent with the fact that spirituality helps people out from the darkest..." + (show)
@abida

I agree one hundred percent with the fact that spirituality helps people out from the darkest fears and inconsolable losses.I lost my eldest child 5 years back few months after his twenty second birthday.My world turned upside down but I was always a spiritual person so even such a big loss could not drag me down to a place where I could not climb out.Granted I have days where I do feel low and listless but these moments don't last for long. I have survived it only because of spirituality

Jump to this post

@pdilly, hi. I so needed to hear this post. Thank you for it. I didnt wake up until 3:30 in the pm. Days and nihts are turned around some. But as soon as i woke up i was in a bad way. Im on Facebook, trying tl do what little i can in the way of advocating for animals. The first thing i saw was the account of two teen boys watching a man drown in a pond, laughing, and pointing and filming it. I burst into tears. Jesus must come soon. Thank you fornyour post. Dany

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 21, 2017
In reply to @amberpep "Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like..." + (show)
@amberpep

Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like some input from anyone that has any insight into this. I've had depression and anxiety since I was an early teen and finally at age 45, I went to my doctor. She sent me to a Psychiatrist who put me on Zoloft. That was many, many, moons ago and I have a different Psychiatrist and now take meds. for Depression/Anxiety and Cyclothymia. I sleep great every night (my adult kids tell me I could sleep standing up!!!), but every morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor I feel this overwhelming anxiety and I don't know why. I slept well, was it dreams? I don't know what causes this, but I come right to the kitchen, take my meds. and within 45 min. it's gone. I just don't get why I wake up that way .... it doesn't make any sense to me. Input from anyone?
abby

Jump to this post

@blindeyepug You sound like me here. My mind whirls, particularly so when something is coming up, like a vacation or an appointment that I am concerned about. Also, if something is worrying me. I have had prescriptions for lorazapam which I would take on average once a month but now my PCP is dead-set against it. My transplant said it would fine to take but they deferred to my PCP to prescribe it and I won't even bother to ask him.
I too am having less problem now than I have sometimes in the past, probably because by the time I go to bed I am exhausted.

I read another tip about getting to sleep. Start with any letter of the alphabet and think of any non-emotional words you can beginning with that letter. When you run out of words go to another letter. That probably works similarly to the muscle clenching, by giving you something neutral to concentrate on. For those who are religious, I say prayers when I get into bed. I have a regular routine but often do not make it through all of them.
JK

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 22, 2017
In reply to @abida "I agree one hundred percent with the fact that spirituality helps people out from the darkest..." + (show)
@abida

I agree one hundred percent with the fact that spirituality helps people out from the darkest fears and inconsolable losses.I lost my eldest child 5 years back few months after his twenty second birthday.My world turned upside down but I was always a spiritual person so even such a big loss could not drag me down to a place where I could not climb out.Granted I have days where I do feel low and listless but these moments don't last for long. I have survived it only because of spirituality

Jump to this post

@pdilly This is unbelievable, about the two teens watching a man drown. I am glad they have them on film so they could easily be apprehended. My stomach is sick at the thought of it. I firmly believe that the violence in the media contributes much to this type of behavior. I was so strict about what my two could watch when growing up.
JK

REPLY
danybegood1 | @danybegood1 | Jul 22, 2017
In reply to @abida "I agree one hundred percent with the fact that spirituality helps people out from the darkest..." + (show)
@abida

I agree one hundred percent with the fact that spirituality helps people out from the darkest fears and inconsolable losses.I lost my eldest child 5 years back few months after his twenty second birthday.My world turned upside down but I was always a spiritual person so even such a big loss could not drag me down to a place where I could not climb out.Granted I have days where I do feel low and listless but these moments don't last for long. I have survived it only because of spirituality

Jump to this post

@pdilly, didnt you see? Florida is saying they cant charge them with anything because its not against the law to not render aid? That's one reason i was so heartsick. But we both know that true judgement and retribution comes later anyway. It's just a reprehensible and sad thing for his family to have to go through. Bless you, Dany

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 22, 2017
In reply to @contentandwell "@hopeful33250 @danybegood1 I find that you try to really "examine" each person you are friendly with..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@hopeful33250 @danybegood1 I find that you try to really "examine" each person you are friendly with and then you can know exactly how much to put into the friendship and what to expect. The woman I am most connected with I have come to realize is sort of a "fair weather friend". I enjoy her a lot but I now know better exactly what the friendship is. When I was sick she didn't call when I was recuperating. Her husband would call my husband occasionally but I never heard from her, she didn't visit me, nothing.
JK

Jump to this post

@IndianaScott Scott, your post is so true, we never really know. I even had one of my water aerobic instructors who lives in a totally different town to volunteer to do errands for me or to help clean my house! I will always have a special place in my heart for her, she is such a dear and a true Christian. The friend who supplied the most support lives across the country in SF but as a breast cancer survivor she understood what I was going through. Of course she was not HERE but even so having her to "talk" to was great.
JK

REPLY
blindeyepug | @blindeyepug | Jul 22, 2017
In reply to @amberpep "Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like..." + (show)
@amberpep

Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like some input from anyone that has any insight into this. I've had depression and anxiety since I was an early teen and finally at age 45, I went to my doctor. She sent me to a Psychiatrist who put me on Zoloft. That was many, many, moons ago and I have a different Psychiatrist and now take meds. for Depression/Anxiety and Cyclothymia. I sleep great every night (my adult kids tell me I could sleep standing up!!!), but every morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor I feel this overwhelming anxiety and I don't know why. I slept well, was it dreams? I don't know what causes this, but I come right to the kitchen, take my meds. and within 45 min. it's gone. I just don't get why I wake up that way .... it doesn't make any sense to me. Input from anyone?
abby

Jump to this post

@contentandwell. Those are some great ideas for shutting down the mind for sleep!

REPLY
blindeyepug | @blindeyepug | Jul 22, 2017
In reply to @amberpep "Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like..." + (show)
@amberpep

Hi all ..... if I may, I'm going to "switch horses" here .... I would like some input from anyone that has any insight into this. I've had depression and anxiety since I was an early teen and finally at age 45, I went to my doctor. She sent me to a Psychiatrist who put me on Zoloft. That was many, many, moons ago and I have a different Psychiatrist and now take meds. for Depression/Anxiety and Cyclothymia. I sleep great every night (my adult kids tell me I could sleep standing up!!!), but every morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor I feel this overwhelming anxiety and I don't know why. I slept well, was it dreams? I don't know what causes this, but I come right to the kitchen, take my meds. and within 45 min. it's gone. I just don't get why I wake up that way .... it doesn't make any sense to me. Input from anyone?
abby

Jump to this post

@contentandwell I am so happy and excited for you and the pending trip to Hawaii! You will love it! Be sure to eat some fresh pineapple. You won't believe how totally different and delicious it is i Hawaii!

REPLY
JK | @contentandwell | Jul 22, 2017
In reply to @amberpep "contented and well ....... Hmmmmmm ..... seems like there might be a few things they need..." + (show)
@amberpep

contented and well ....... Hmmmmmm ..... seems like there might be a few things they need to work out before marriage. This could just be the tip of the iceberg.
abby

Jump to this post

@amberpep If you are referring to the not living together initially, they do plan to within six months probably, and as I said, he owns the business and pretty much only goes in two days a week and she can telecommute most of the time so they are able to go back and forth easily. It's only about two hours between the two cities by train. I just worry that he may be becoming very domineering, a trait that I would not wish on any woman because I have gone through it. Our marriage was rough for many years and we do still have a lot of rough spots. As I have mentioned though, through all of my cirrhosis difficulties and recuperation from transplant my husband could not have been better. It seemed hard on him when I was able to be my independent self again. When I was not he pretty much enjoyed having that control.
JK

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.