Manage Stress — Manage Your Energy
On this page 6 headings
Start here A guitar string that’s too loose makes no music. Too tight, and it snaps. Stress is the same. A little stretches you and helps you grow. Too much for too long breaks you down.
What is stress?
- Every system has a natural state of order and balance. When it is pushed away from that state, we feel stress.
- We are made of mind, body and brain, all connected. Stress in one part spreads to the others.
- We are also part of a bigger system: people, nature, the world. So stress can come from inside us or outside us.
- Some stress is good. It pushes you out of your comfort zone.
- Too much, for too long, hurts your health, self-worth and performance.
- So treat the root cause, not just the symptoms.
Three ways to manage stress
- Manage your energy (this page)
- Manage your time (next page)
- Build rituals that join good habits together (next page)
Nine practices to manage your energy
| Practice | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Follow your body clock | Sleep, wake and eat at regular times, in step with sunrise and sunset | Your body has a 24-hour clock (the circadian rhythm). Working with it is like rowing downstream. |
| 2. Sleep well | Enough deep sleep at regular times. The teacher suggests bed by about 10 pm. | The body repairs itself. The brain stores what you learned into long-term memory. |
| 3. Move and exercise | Regular activity | More energy and stamina; better blood flow; a healthier brain that keeps learning at any age |
| 4. Eat well | Fresh, seasonal, local food; less packaged and junk food; regular meal times; chew well, no phone while eating | Food is fuel. Stress while eating disturbs digestion. |
| 5. Breathe deeply | Breathe slowly into your belly, then breathe out fully, a few times a day | Calms you, clears your mind, boosts focus |
| 6. Meditate | 10–15 minutes daily; watch your thoughts without fighting them | Clear, calm mind; better focus and creativity |
| 7. Journal | Write whatever comes to mind, every day (morning or bedtime) | Clears the mind, reduces overthinking, helps you understand your feelings |
| 8. Be grateful | Think about what you are, have and can do, not what you lack | Shifts your energy instantly; reminds you of your strengths |
| 9. Be kind | Be kind to others, and first to yourself | Releases “feel-good” chemicals (oxytocin, serotonin). Even watching kindness lifts you. |
Circadian comes from Latin: circa (around) + dies (day), so “about a day”.
How to meditate: the muddy water
Lecture example — the jar of muddy water The Buddha shook a jar of muddy water. It stayed cloudy while he kept shaking it. When he set it down, the mud slowly settled and the water became clear. Our mind is the same. Fighting our thoughts stirs them up. Leave them alone and they settle.
The key: be an observer. Imagine sitting on a balcony watching clouds pass by. Do the same with your thoughts:
- No judging: not “good thought” or “bad thought”.
- No holding on: don’t chase the nice thoughts.
- No pushing away: don’t fight the unpleasant ones.
Thoughts won’t vanish on day 1. Like any habit, it takes daily practice.
Journaling tip
Don’t know what to write? Write “I don’t know what to write” again and again. Soon your pen takes over. There’s no right or wrong way. It’s your safe, private space.
In one line: Some stress helps, too much harms; refill your energy with good sleep, movement, food, breath, meditation, journaling, gratitude and kindness. Exam words: stress, natural state of balance, internal and external factors, root cause, circadian rhythm, sleep, mindful eating, deep breathing, meditation (non-judgment, non-attachment, non-resistance), journaling, gratitude, kindness, oxytocin, serotonin.