To me stress is like a dementor. I am sure most of you have watched the “Harry Potter” films, especially our younger generation. You should therefore be familiar with the dementors that played such a prominent part. The first time our friend Harry met these foul creatures was in the Prisoner of Azkaban. My son even bought the book, not that he ever took the time to read it.
Dementors are supposedly dark creatures that feed off human happiness and causes depression and despair. They are capable of consuming a person’s soul, leaving them in a permanent vegetative state. Can you see the resemblance?
Dementors, can not be destroyed, just as stress can not be destroyed. But we can reduce the stress in our lives by understanding what causes our stress levels and then employing positive coping skills.
Remember what Harry had to do to be able to keep the dementors at bay? He had to remember a time when he was truly happy. Happiness was the key to his magic and keeping these dark creatures at bay. Happiness is one of the coping skills you may utilize in a difficult situation. Like laughter, visualizing happiness has a very therapeutic effect. Just imagine bringing that feeling of happiness over you by just pressing your forefinger and thumb together! Intrigued? Let me explain…
First hand experience taught me that in moments of sadness or anger, it is virtually impossible to press a button in your mind and switch from sad to happy in seconds. Or is it? What if I told you it is possible! What if I told you that you can virtually teleport to the Valley of contentment at a moments notice! Awesome don’t you think?
Then, what is this magical recipe? My friends, there is absolutely no magic involved. No magic wands, cauldrons and frog legs, just repetition and a willingness to spend two or three minutes a day to create that switch. It is just combining two very human abilities to create a life changing habit. Let’s call it a habit for simplicity sake.
Have you noticed that a specific song playing on the radio, conjures up memories of a certain person or event? Or do you associate a smell with a memory of someone? There is an Afrikaans song that goes:
My nooi is in n naartjie,
My ouma in kaneel…
Roughly translated it says My girl is in a naartjie, my granny in cinnamon.
It is a very human ability to create associations between certain things using our five senses. Our mind creates associations of something that has a profound effect on us. Years later we still have the ability to remember in detail just by triggering that switch, a smell, a sound or a taste.
But then we are habitual creatures, and if we repeat a certain action for a certain amount of times, a new habit is formed. So why not combining the ability to create associations and the ability to form habits to create a life changing inclination?
Would you like to know more? Why not sign up for one of my workshops or pencil me into your diary for a personal one on one session. I will endeavor not to disappoint you. Send me an e-mail at adminstress@
