milestone moments: You: Stress Less... Stress-Management Technique 8

FOR THE MIND AND SOUL

73. LEARN FROM BUDDHISM

the goal of Buddhist meditation isn't to suppress emotions that are harmful but rather to identify how they arise, how they are experienced, and how they influence us in the long run
for Buddhists, the good life isn't achieved by transcending an emotion - not even hatred - but by effectively managing it
3 mental processes that are toxic to the mind (and that lead to all kinds of mental suffering)

cravings happen when a person exaggerates the good qualities of an object while ignoring the bad ones. Therefore, cravings can disrupt the balance of the mind, easily leading to anxiety, misery, fear and anger

exaggerates the bad qualities and deemphasizes the good ones
driven by the with to harm or destroy anything that gets in your way
the impression is that the dissatisfaction belongs to the object, when the true source of it is the mind alone

Delusion = according to Buddhism, the self is constantly in a state of dynamic flux and is profoundly interdependent with other people and the environment. However, people habitually delude themselves about the actual nature of the self by superimposing the interpretations of their own reality.

74. THINK ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUALITY

it relaxes = a form of meditation (no matter what your religious preferences), prayer helps to slow breathing and brain activity, and reduces heart rate and blood pressure. All relaxing, all good.
it's positive = after praying you're filled with peace, joy and other emotions that are worthy of being printed on holiday cocktail napkins. There's some evidence that these emotions lead to positive physiological responses throughout the entire body. Our stress hormone levels prepare for a peaceful existence.
it's better than nothing (i.e. the placebo effect) = simply because the person feels as if it's helping, whether it's helping physiologically or not
it's supernatural = the hardest reason to quantify, it's also one of the most powerful

75. GIVE, THEN PASS

there are few feelings in the world that surpass knowing you've helped someone - whether it's through financial donation or a mentoring program or giving up your seat on a crowded bus. It feels good - and is good.
some researchers have found the effect of giving, of altruisms small and big, is similar to the so-called runner's high (the rush of endorphins). This rush can last a long time.
90% of people who experience this high give their health condition a better grade than those who don't. The reason: it seems that charity might really start at home. Your thoughts about helping others help you.

You Stress Management Plan

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