Don’t bother trying to change
I was reading an article about immune function and how we can influence it. The advice:
“Don’t smoke, sleep well, eat a healthy diet, make sure you exercise regularly, improve your personal relationships and try to reduce the stress in your life”.
Wise words from the doctor and I agree except for one thing. The presence of the word “TRY”. “Try to reduce the stress in your life”. That one word probably says more about the doctor’s own inability to reduce stress in their own life. And in that single statement the doctor has ‘prescribed’ a powerful message.
Imagine if health advice was “ Exercise more, Eat healthy food and try to stop smoking”. You would infer that the smoking bit was less essential than the rest and you might also infer that it was difficult or impossible.
We know how much chronic stress matters. We also know that when things really matter we can find a way.
So I would say very clearly. Don’t try to reduce the stress in your life. Actually do it. If your not sure how to do it, get help.
And while you are at it, you may as well remove the word ‘try’ from your own vocabulary. It implies a struggle. Don’t ‘try’. Decide. Then do it no matter what.