Writing & New Age

Lesson 5: Uniting With The Inner Source.

Section 5-2: Why Does the Inner Source Arrive Unannounced?

There are many things that hinder your ability to develop your literary potential through the use of your inner source. One area that may hinder and create unannounced arrivals of the passion of your inner source can be stress. It is good to look at the levels of stress you are dealing with and address them when going through visualization, guided imagery, relaxation exercises, self-hypnosis, and other therapeutic writing tools.

I. Stress scales:

In the following table look up changes in your life and note the stress value each change adds to your life; especially note any item that you may have experienced in the last twelve months, afterwards total up the score.

(This scale is from the Social Readjustment Rating Scale generated by Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe, first published in the "Journal of Psychosomatic Research". Copyright 1967. Vol. II p. 214.)

II. Stress scale for adults:

Death of Spouse 100 pts.
Divorce 60 pts.
Menopause 60 pts.
Separation from living partner 60 pts.
Jail term or probation 60 pts.
Death of close family 60 pts.
Serious personal injury or illness 45 pts.
Marriage or establishing life partnership 45 pts.
Fired at work 45 pts.
Marital or relationship reconciliation 40 pts.
Retirement 40 pts.
Change in health of immediate family member 40 pts.
Work more than 40 hours per week 35 pts.
Pregnancy or causing pregnancy 35 pts.
Sex difficulties 35 pts.
Gain of new family member 35 pts.
Business or work role change 35 pts.
Change in financial state 35 pts.
Death of close friend 30 pts.
Change in number of arguments with spouse or life partner 30 pts.
Mortgage or loan for a major purpose 25 pts.
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan 25 pts.
Sleep less than 8 hours per night 25 pts.
Change in responsibilities at work 25 pts.
Trouble with in-laws, or with children 25 pts.
Outstanding personal achievement 25 pts.
Spouse begins or stops work 20 pts.
Begin or end school 20 pts.
Change in living conditions (visitors in the home, change in roommates, remodeling house) 20 pts.
Change in personal habits (diet, exercise, smoking, etc.) 20 pts.
Chronic allergies 20 pts.
Trouble with boss 20 pts.
Change in work hours or conditions 15 pts.
Moving to new residence 15 pts.
Presently in pre-menstrual period 15 pts.
Change in schools 15 pts.
Chance in religious activities 15 pts.
Change in social activities (more or less than before) 15 pts.
Minor financial loan 10 pts.
Change in frequency of family get-togethers 10 pts.
Vacation 10 pts.
Presently in winter holiday season 10 pts.
Minor violation of the law 5 pts.

TOTAL SCORE:_________________

III. Stress scale for youth:

Death of spouse, parent, boyfriend|girlfriend 100 pts.
Divorce (of yourself or your parents) 65 pts.
Puberty 65 pts.
Pregnancy (or causing pregnancy) 65 pts.
Marital separation or breakup with boyfriend|girlfriend 60 pts.
Jailterm or probation 60 pts.
Death of other family member 60 pts.
Broken Engagement 55 pts.
Engagement 50 pts.
Serious personal injury or illness 45 pts.
Marriage 45 pts.
Entering college or beginning next level of school 45 pts.
Change in independence or responsibility 45 pts.
Any drug and|or alcoholic use 45 pts.
Fired at work expelled from school 45 pts.
Change in alcohol or drug use 45 pts.
Reconciliation with mate, family or boyfriend|girlfriend 40 pts.
Trouble at school 40 pts.
Serious health problem of a family member 40 pts.
Working while attending school 35 pts.
Working more than 40 hours per week 35 pts.
Changing course of study 35 pts.
Change in frequency of dating 35 pts.
Sexual adjustment problems (confusion of sexual identify) 35 pts.
Gain of new family member 35 pts.
Change in work responsibilities 35 pts.
Change in financial state 30 pts.
Death of a close friend 30 pts.
Change to a different kind of work 30 pts.
Change in number of arguments with mate, family, or friends 30 pts.
Sleep less than 8 hours per night 25 pts.
Trouble with in-laws or boyfriend's|girlfriend's family 25 pts.
Outstanding personal achievement (e.g.,awards, grades) 25 pts.
Mate or parents start or stop working 20 pts.
Begin or end school 20 pts.
Change in living conditions (visitors in the home, remodeling house, change in roommates) 20 pts.
Change in personal habits (start or stop a habit like smoking or dieting) 20 pts.
Chronic allergies 20 pts.
Trouble with the boss 20 pts.
Change in work hours 15 pts.
Change in residence 15 pts.
Change to new school (other than graduation) 10 pts.
Presently in pre-menstrual period 15 pts.
Change in religious activity 15 pts.
Going in debt (you or your family) 10 pts.
Change in frequency of family gatherings 10 pts.
Vacation 10 pts.
Presently in winter holiday season l0 pts.
Minor violation of the law 5 pts.

TOTAL SCORE:_________________

Look at the last twelve months of changes in your life. A major change in your life has effects that carry over long periods of time. Like dropping a rock in a pond, after the initial splash, you experience ripples of stress and they continue for at least a year.

If you experienced total stress in the past twelve months of 250 or greater (even with normal stress tolerance) you probably are overstressed. Persons with low stress tolerance may be overstressed at levels as low as 150.

High levels of stress over long periods of time makes you ill. Carrying too heavy a stress load is like running your car's engine past the red line; or leaving your toaster stuck in the "on" position; or running a nuclear reactor past maximum permissible power-sooner or later-something breaks, burns, or melts down.

What breaks depends on where the weak links are in your physical body; this is largely an inherited characteristic.

Checklist for Handling Overstress

Reduce your stress load:

-----Reduce the pace of change in your life.

-----Reduce the social obligations.

-----Reduce work or school obligations.

-----Postpone changes in your living situation.

-----Say "No" more often.

-----Eliminate possible food or environmental allergens.

-----Reduce environmental toxins.

Get off the "Roller Coaster:"

-----Diet: Take a multivitamin, mineral, trace element preparation; stabilize your blood sugar; eat more vegetables.

-----Exercise: Twenty minutes to two hours, three times a week.

-----Stop Your pick-me-up's (consult your physician).

-----Stop Your Put-Me-Down's (consult your physician).

Do a "rest for your mind" activity:

-----Exercise.

-----Recreational reading, arts, crafts, music.

-----Dance.

-----Meditation.

-----Yoga.

-----Biofeedback.

-----Self-Hypnosis.

-----Religious counseling.

Help your body clock re-set itself:

-----Set regular sleep times.

-----Avoid time zone shifts or rapid changes in your work shift.

-----Use daylight spectrum fluorescent lights to set your body clock's "awake time."

Visit a physician

-----Check for hidden illness.

Visit a counselor

-----Obtain help with self-relaxation and general psychological counseling.

If you just can not make enough happy messengers:

-----Have your doctor prescribe for you a brain chemical re-balancer.

Three rules to permanently conquer overstress:

RULE ONE: learn to read your body signs.

Learn to check your body frequently for signs of overstress. Watch for the telltale disturbances in your sleep pattern, as this is usually the earliest sign of overstress.

You must learn to read your body signs in much the same way as the diabetic learns the early warning signs of abnormal blood sugar. In order to cope successfully with diabetes, the diabetic has to learn to read his body's signals. If he has a constant thirst, fatigue and excessive urination that means the sugar is too high. If he has shakiness, irritability, and perspiration that means the blood sugar is too low. In order to live with diabetes, the diabetic must understand what these signals mean.

Likewise, if you are a person who is prone to overstress, you must learn to look for its earliest warning signs. As soon as your sleep patterns change, or you experience fatigue, lack of enjoyment of life, anxiety, multiple aches and pains -- that is the time to go through the overstress checklist.

RULE TWO: exchange your stresses

Keep your stress level below your individual overstress point by "exchanging stresses". If a new stress comes into your life, then make room for it by eliminating or postponing another stress. This way, your total stress level remains low.

The natural tendency is for people to let their stresses pile up rather than exchanging them. In this fashion, overstress gradually occurs. With the development of overstress, the person starts using more and more pick-me-up's, taking off on the wild roller coaster of ill health.

RULE THREE: use your toolbox

You now have a "toolbox" full of ways to deal with your overstress. Whenever your body shows signs of overstress, you can use the tools to help set yourself back on the path of well being.

Relative titles:

Title: For People Experiencing Stress: A Guided Imagery CD
Author: Belleruth Naparstek , Steven Mark Kohn
Publisher: Time Warner AudioBooks
Publication Date: Jan 2000
Price: $17.98
ISBN: 1570428158

These inspiring and beautifully crafted Health Journeys programs offer guided imagery at its finest. Belleruth Naparstek's soothing voice and Steve Kahn's inspiring music combine perfectly to increase physical and emotional healing Guided imagery is the gently technique of directing the imagination to help the mind and body relax, heal, and perform better.

Works cited:

The Medical Basis of Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Sleep Problems, and Drug Use. Steven L. Burns, M.D. Kimberly Burns. 1990.

Footnote:

St. Paul the Apostle: Patronage of reporters, he visits twice.

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Lesson 5: Uniting With The Inner Source.

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