A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE WRITER’S STRUGGLE WITH STRESS AND DEPRESSION

It may not be a surprise to the Reader, that I am a normal human being that is just as challenged with Stress and Depression as many others that may even include you.

So I have been searching for positive solutions to me dilemma and I noticed this book advertised by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, entitled “STRESS-FREE Living”.
Marilyn and I had been to the Mayo Clinic several years back and so we were on the Mayo Clinic email list that kept us abreast of what was available and updates on various treatments for the many maladies that can affect us humans.

We ordered the book and after reading it, I am recommending the reading to Marilyn and whoever else may struggle with this type of problem in their life.

I will make some quotations which I am doing for my personal use as quick reference to get me on track again. If you find it useful, feel free to contact the Mayo Clinic directly or request more information from me. I really feel much greatly enlightened after a three week journey with Dr Amit Sood, MD., MSc. and his bevy of professionals that assisted him in preparation of this book.
All quotations will be in italics:

Preface xiii “……..Stress is the struggle with what is. A mind that doesn’t have what it wants or doesn’t want what it has experiences stress. Saddled with hundreds of
“open files” in the mind, we spend half our day physically here but mentally elsewhere. We get so caught up weeding the yard that we completely miss the tulips that nature gives us for precious weeks. We postpone joy………….”

Page 63 “…….A 7-Point Program for Increasing Energy
1. Eat healthy, nourishing food
2. Sleep seven to eight hours a day
3. Keep company with good people
4. Avoid news overdose
5. Follow an exercise routine
6. Do something meaningful each day
7. Think good thoughts for others
Each of these steps, individually and together, will increase your energy…….”

Page 70 “…….Every day, serve yourself some fresh air, brewed moments ago by the trees that surround you……”

Page 81 “…..When you see someone, before any thought or judgement wells up, remember that there’s a 50 percent chance that the person is in the default mode at that moment, likely tackling some person struggle. With this understanding, as a first reflex, align your heart and eye, and send a silent intention: I wish you well. Remember CALF:
• Compassion is the understanding that everyone is fighting some battle
• Acceptance delays negative judgement, giving others room to breathe and permission to be different
• Love helps you picture others in the circle of people who love them; you can place yourself ion that circle to the extent you feel comfortable
• Forgiveness guides you to move beyond the minor inconvenience others may have caused you
Kind attention is a two-way flow of energy…………”

page 83 “…..Kindness gifted is Kindness received….”

Page 84 “….Kindness is infectious….”

Page 101 “……Gratitude is an outer expression of inner humility….”

Page 117 “…..Use gratitude to harness your hurts
Think about a painful event in your life. Then ask yourself these questions:
• Did this experience help me grow?
• Did it prevent something worse?
• Can I be grateful that the pain came to me and not my kids?
• Am I a better or kinder person because of experiencing adversity?
• Can I be grateful that I had the resources to deal with it?
• Am I connected to some people because of this?
We often confuse good and pleasant. Not , not everything pleasant is good. Likewise not everything unpleasant is bad. Find meaning in the unpleasant and be grateful for that meaning. You can learn important lessons from the hurts you experience………”

Page 131 “…….Anger treated with anger is a moment to forget; anger treated with compassion is a moment of progress……..”

Page 141 “……When you perceive a threat, ask yourself if your fear stems from inner security or outer reality. Is this fear a holdover from childhold? One way to decrease threat perceptions is to use your kind attention training. Silently wish others well or offer a two-second prayer for them. With time, kind attention will change the tint of the lenses through which you view the world…..”

Page 157 “…..Part of your unhappiness comes from living in an imperfect world. But the greater part comes from the desire to control and change others and the frustration at your inability to do so. The more you try to change people, the greater your assault on their egos and the more stubborn they’ll become. The one person who (might) listen to you and be willing to change is you. Trying to change others is an insurmountable task, like trying to paint a moving cloud; the paint won’t stick.
The key to changing people is with them, not you. Only they can change, once they are willing. They will be more willing if they feel good about themselves. They’ll also listen if they perceive your unconditional warmth. How can you enhance self-esteem and some your warmth? Accept them as they are…….”

Page 211 “……All these statements describing forgiveness are true:
• Forgiveness is your gift to others
• Forgiveness is your choice
• The forgiven are often undeserving of your kindness
• In forgiving, you don’t intend to forget the wrong
• In forgiving, you don’t intend to deny the wrong
• In forgiving, you don’t justify the wrong
• Your forgiveness doesn’t allow people to get away with or repeat the misconduct
• You can stop the process of forgiveness if you become uncomfortable with it……..”

Page 217 “…….Don’t let a moment of anger destroy a lifetime of love…..”

page 247 “…..Waiting for others to send you positive energy will put you at the end of a very long line……….”

Page 251 “……Let go the satisfaction of being proved right if being right risks losing a loving relationship….”

Page 263 “……Research also shows the benefit of relaxation programs—–particularly meditation—-for improving symptoms of many health conditions including:
• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Chronic pain
• Depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Heart Disease
• Insomnia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Psoriasis
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Tension headaches
Meditation has also shown to improve memory and concentration, adherence to exercise programs, weight loss, risk of falls, and musical performances. Some astronauts, golfers, swimmers and athletes practice meditation and other relaxation programs have now become part of ordinary life……”

Page 282 “…….Your mind can be your prison or your wings. When you spend your days quenching its satiable thirst in its wandering default mode, your mind becomes your prison. The alternative is to suffuse your mind to the highest principles so it contemplates the divine. The mind then becomes your wings and takes you higher than you could have thought………..”

I want to thank Dr Amit Sood and all those who assisted him in the preparation of this book. You have provided me with the tools to live the rest of my live in a much better way as I will exercise using these tools to advance my perspective on all that is around me in a much better light.

Elmer Verigin
Written October 27, 2014