Life can be a stressful game if you believe it to be. While there are outside circumstances that are outside of our control, there are also many circumstances within our control. No matter what, though, the game of life is played until the end. Like all games, players will inevitably have a moment or two of frustration at how the cards have been dealt. People grow frustrated with the rules and regulations of the game, feeling despondent at how some people can ‘bend’ the rules while others are incapable of doing so. Stress and anxiety ensue, and we have individuals and even communities needing to find ways to alleviate the many problems. Some people can react well or can cope and thrive with the stress and anxiety of modern life, with all the trials and tribulations that playing ‘the game’ entails. However, some people cannot cope well with stress and anxiety, eventually making that person susceptible to dis-ease either physically or mentally.
The question is, where is our focus? The average person copes with considerable day-to-day stress and anxiety, embracing it as just a part of life’s journey, but there are abundant ways to incorporate stress relief methods into your lifestyle, and depending on each person, choosing one or more methods or activities that will work to give you a reprieve from the stressor, is highly beneficial, rather than remain in apathy. Avoid unhealthy and temporary vices that take the ‘edge off’ temporarily. Common methods that people use as stress relief, such as drinking and smoking, are harmful in excess due to the habit-forming effects of nicotine and alcohol on the body and brain. Alcohol is rapidly metabolized by the body and can impair judgment fairly quickly; in large quantities, it may also cause damage to a person’s liver. Smoking poses even more long-term health risks, in the form of lung cancer and various other respiratory problems, so you want to find healthier ways to co-exist with environmental stressors, without compromising your health.
Focus on beauty, joyfulness, love, peace, tranquility, quiet, stillness, and connection while you traverse the journey of life. Music helps us get into these states. No matter the genre, if we like the music, then we attach meaning to it in our many moments; the score/accompaniment on our life’s journey. Classical or symphonic music, in particular, is a scientifically proven effective form of stress relief.
Psychiatrists believe that classical music is at a much higher standard compared to most contemporary music due to its frequency. The melodies have several beneficial effects on the human psyche, from soothing feelings of anxiety and tension to helping stimulate some areas of the brain. While there are some samples of more modern compositions that can achieve similar effects, most studies show that there is a lack of consistency in this. Popular myth holds that Mozart’s compositions tend to be the best stress relief music, with Bach, Vivaldi, and Beethoven also having similar effects.
While navigating the game of life, experiencing nature is the most grounding. With so many facets of nature to explore that are highly relaxing and deeply inspirational, the connection to the Earth, Sea, and Sky is unmatched. Remember, we create our reality, so make it great. Include time appreciating the planet you live on and how it functions to support your existence, as you chase your dreams, goals, and aspirations. Life is a game, each of us players and actors in a big production. If we choose to play survival and struggle, we will play that hand; if we choose to thrive and rise, we will play that hand. We don’t necessarily need to be victims of circumstance; countless trials and tribulations we might encounter when playing the game of life, we do have the power to change things up, and turn things around by the simple act of changing what we focus on.
