Stuart Zullo 
I have to say that I’m not usually the type to forward emails, but the message I’m about to relay to you I found to be quite pertinent in this day and age when people appear to be stressed more often than not, so I thought I’d share it with the busy, hard working people in our Liverpool community.
“A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’
Answers called out ranging from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, ‘the absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.’
He continued, ‘And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, the burden will become increasingly heavy, and eventually we won’t be able to continue carrying it.
‘As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
‘So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down: don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, put them down for a moment if you can and pick them up again tomorrow, you may feel as though the burden has lightened and that you feel that little bit stronger.’
I don’t know that there would be many people who don’t have some kind of stress in their lives, whether it be work, family, money, health, relationships, time or something else. With the New Year beginning, it’s the perfect time to think a little bit about yourself and what makes you happy, and start to manage any stress that you’re going through.
A few thoughts to take on board…
- Just accept that some days, you’re the pigeon; and some days, you’re the statue.
- Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be “recalled” by their maker.
- If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
- Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
- Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
- When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
- Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
- If life sets you on a detour, enjoy the scenery.
And if all else fails I hear a good massage, cool beverage or block of chocolate can also work wonders…
If you have any relaxation strategies, or thoughts on coping with stress, please share them here and help your Liverpool community breath a little easier today.