Stress and Your Laptop

One warm afternoon, my friend’s son wanted to show off his strength to me. “I can easily lift your laptop. Look.” He lifted it off the chair, and then asked. “How heavy is it, Natalie?”

“Oh, does it matter, Jason? How long you can lift it is what really counts. Can you carry it all the way home?” I toyed with him.

“Sure, I could.”

As I watched him struggle, my wheels started to turn.

The child was excited in the first minute, his smile wide and loud. However, after five minutes his smile disappeared and his shoulder slouched to one side. Two minutes after that the boy gave in and returned the laptop to me.

“Wow, that’s really heavy,” he exhaled as he rubbed his shoulder.

The laptop was the same weight all along. Yet it seemed heavier on the boy’s shoulder as time went by. Time has made my laptop heavier on the boy’s shoulder and because of that the boy had become uncomfortable and stressed.

That’s that way many people get stressed out. They carry their ‘laptops’ within them throughout the day. Soon enough the ‘laptop’ (or their burdens) gradually gets heavier and heavier, and in time the people are not able to carry their burdens any longer.

When the ‘laptop’ or burden gets heavy on your shoulders put it down in an appropriate place and take a break. After a short while you will feel refreshed and relaxed to continue with the day. The burden will then not feel as heavy. This way you remain in control.

When you are faced with a stressful situation, do you take a break and step away from that stress, even for two or three minutes? Just enough time to regain your composure?

Female? 40-something? Read this client’s compelling story: Being Vulnerable