Stress is a response to a perceived threat. It starts with the “spin” that the voice in the head puts on what we perceive, that makes us feel anxious. Lack of attention and a wandering mind then perpetuate the anxiety.
Conventional wisdom says that there is no way out of stress. It is part of our lives, and so we learn to cope with stress. I look at the problem differently. As long as we are not integrated and in sync with ourselves and the mind chatter exists, we are unconscious of our actions. This is because we tend to respond automatically from our memorized habits, beliefs, and attitudes
There are two ways to live in this world, either in a state of anxiety or in a state of creativity. We are living both these ways now, but only notice the misery and not the times we are happy. Most of us focus on the anxiety and ask, “How can we make ourselves less stressful?” because we assume there is no way out of this mental anguish. This is the default state of mind for most people. We never ask, “How can I extend the experience of joy that I feel.” This state of mind is pure awareness where there is no stress. We go in and out of it throughout the day but are not aware of it. And, even if we are aware of the state, many of us can’t seem to be able to sustain it.