{"id":6474,"date":"2014-02-18T01:00:25","date_gmt":"2014-02-18T06:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/allandouglas.com\/blog\/?p=6474"},"modified":"2025-04-21T01:56:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T05:56:40","slug":"camel-straw-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/camel-straw-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"The Camel, the Straw, and Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"camel,<\/a>
Like it? Buy a print from www.Art.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You\u2019ve heard the saying \u201cIt was the straw that broke the camel\u2019s back.\u201d and you probably recognize that it refers to a slowly increasing load or burden that eventually crushes the one carrying it, but have you ever given the saying much thought? \u00a0Have you ever considered whether it applies to you? \u00a0Or perhaps you\u2019ve been through an experience that could be described by this prophetic witticism. \u00a0Our modern society is very good at pushing the idea that if you\u2019re not flitting around like a hummingbird, involved in everything, and severely stressed by it all; you\u2019re not normal.\u00a0 I say if that\u2019s normal, strive for abnormality!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not only does this type of lifestyle put you at risk of hypertension, stroke, and mental disorder, but it will bring on dietary disorders because you refuse to take the time for a proper, healthy diet.\u00a0 Eating on the run means grabbing snacks and fast food that are laden with fat and cholesterol and deficient in the vitamins, minerals and proteins your body needs to function properly.<\/p>\n

Like the camel and his load, it can sneak up on you; it\u2019s only straw, one or two more won\u2019t matter.\u00a0 But eventually a breaking point is reached and you collapse under the load.\u00a0 You don\u2019t carry straw, but you do take on tasks.\u00a0 When someone says, \u201cWill you help with this?\u201d or \u201cCan you do this for me?\u201d or \u201cWould you like to join our group?\u201d give it some thought before responding: where you will get the time? \u00a0Are you willing to drop something else? \u00a0Is it something you truly want to do and will put your best effort into?\u00a0 How will it affect others in your family?<\/p>\n

If you are a parent, it is easy to overburden yourself AND your kids.\u00a0 So many modern parents think that children are just short adults who need to have every moment scheduled, planned and occupied with activities or they\u2019ll get bored.\u00a0 NOT SO!\u00a0 \u00a0A child\u2019s work is play.\u00a0 If you are forever telling them where to go and what to do they will not develop imagination, creativity and self-reliance.\u00a0 Sports and activities are wonderful things; when enjoyed in moderation and if the child *wants* to participate.\u00a0 Resist the urge to redress your deficient childhood vicariously through your children by pushing them into every sport and club available.<\/p>\n

The Stress Key<\/h1>\n

Prioritizing is the key to avoiding stress.\u00a0 You must decide which things are really important and which are less so.\u00a0 Sometimes we lose sight of what is truly important until it has slipped away from us.\u00a0 The classic example is the workaholic Dad who is never home because he\u2019s forever working in order to provide his family with their every desire.\u00a0 In the end this family is always better off if he is more involved with the family, even if that means the kids don\u2019t have the latest craze in $300 tennis shoes.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be the camel: allowing everyone else to pile their load on you.\u00a0 Be sure *you* retain control of your activities, don\u2019t let others pressure you into things with guilt trips for not getting on board with their projects.\u00a0 Enjoy life while you\u2019re still young enough to actually enjoy it.\u00a0 Working yourself half-to-death for the sake of your \u201cGolden Years\u201d rarely works out the way you planned it because the stress and anguish you go through to get it leaves tracks that prevent you from actually enjoying it when you get there.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be slothful; spending your time as a sofa-wart watching \u201creality\u201d shows is not a good thing either.\u00a0 Experience real reality, get out and do things with your family or friends.\u00a0 But take some time to enjoy what you are now, what you have now.\u00a0 Don\u2019t shoulder everything aside as you trudge along under your load of straw in hopes that one day the load will be lifted and you\u2019ll be rewarded for your unwavering diligence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You’ve heard the saying “It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.” and you probably recognize that it refers to a slowly increasing load or burden that eventually crushes the one carrying it, but have you ever given the saying much thought?  Have you ever considered whether it applies to you?  Or perhaps you’ve … Continue reading “The Camel, the Straw, and Stress”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[82,56],"class_list":["post-6474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-educational","tag-health","tag-mental-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6474"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19510,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6474\/revisions\/19510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pineymountainfoster.org\/thoughts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}