"If you ask what the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is to avoid worry, stress and tension.  And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it."   —   George Burns

In my life, I’ve heard some people argue that taking time out to deal with stress is not "natural".  They think taking time for stress management means that you are selfish, weak and wanting to escape reality.  Some people say you should work hard and play hard to be as Nature intended a person to be.  Our great-grandparents didn’t get hot rock massages and learn about positive thinking, so why should we?

In order to find answers to The Big Questions in life, I look to Mother Nature and see what she does.  Okay, so I look to Nature for answers to Little and Middlin’ Questions, too.  But still, it looks as if Nature handles stress, so we should, too.

The Importance of Winter

Love it or loathe it, winter is the main way Nature handles stress.  Growing things takes a lot of energy and uses up a lot of resources.  Without winter, Nature would be pretty burned out.  Some of our ancestors thought of winter as a time when the gods slept.  The force of growth (whatever you want to call it), definitely sleeps.  Sap lowers and stills in trees, roots stay dormant and shoots wither.

Winter is an incredibly stressful time on plants and animals.  Although Nature might take a rest from being fertile, plants and animals still manage to survive this stressful time in the best ways they can.  Plants survive by sleeping through this most stressful of times.  Some animals hibernate through winter as well, although most sleep through the roughest weather and then venture out when they can.

The Importance of Change

Change, in one degree or another, is another way Nature handles stress.  The only unchangeable thing about Nature is that She keep on changing.  Nature is always in a state of flux, whether it’s the change of seasons, high mountains becoming valleys, coal becoming diamonds — it’s all change.  A water drop spends its life in the clouds, then falls as rain or snow into the sea, gets evaporated and it all begins again. 

We humans tend to view change as a leading source of stress.  We are normally lazy creatures and any change needs energy in order to adapt.  Changes, such as moving to a new country, getting a new job or even aging can seem very threatening.  But change is very natural.  In change might be the potential for worse situations for us — but there is always the potential for better situations. 

However, learning to accept and flow with change can greatly reduce our stress.  We all need time out every day to take a deep breath and relax, because it’s only natural.

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