The Impact of Stress or Trauma
/Stress or Trauma
By Cathy Austin
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching Stress Management to an audience.
As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the Half empty or Half full question.
Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired:
How heavy is this glass of water?
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, The absolute weight doesn’t matter.
It depends on how long I 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 arm.
If I hold it for a day,
My arm will feel numb and paralyzed.
In each case,
The weight of the glass doesn’t change.
But
The longer I hold it,
The heavier it becomes.
She continued,
The stresses and worries in life, are like that glass of water…
Think about them for a while and nothing happens.
Think about them for a bit longer and they begin to hurt.
And
If you think about them all day long,
You will feel paralyzed-
Incapable of doing anything…
Remember to put the glass down.
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