It is springtime in Victoria. Gazing at a sea of red of tulips, or driving under a canopy of glorious blossoms can be one of the most uplifting moments of a day, something to enjoy, and also to remember on cold winter days. Yet, for many of us, life is so burdened with tension and stress, that we often do not notice these little things, or remember them. A study from Carleton University in Ottawa found that fully 1/3 of Canadians feel that they are under stress. The reasons are many, such as sudden trauma, financial challenges, or unhappy family relationships.
Recently Carleton University published an article on one of its websites. 聽Called 鈥溾��, the site is dedicated to encouraging better health habits in employees at the university, based on solid research. Many of the diagnoses for signs of stress are the ones we hear about frequently, such as increased muscle tension, poor sleep, headaches, irritability and so on.
However, a less talked about sign of stress mentioned on the site, was cynicism.聽 It fell under the title, 鈥漇piritual Signs of Stress.鈥� That nagging negative feeling of mistrust and doubt due to a build up of hurts and betrayals is bad for our health. Viewing life through mistrustful lenses, we are constantly on alert, and on the defensive 鈥� with our fight or flight reactor permanently switched on. This negative viewpoint drains us silently for years, without our noticing. But if we see cynicism as a health concern, maybe we will be more willing to address it, just as we might address our diet or lack of exercise for health reasons. There is no medical prescription to cure cynicism. What鈥檚 needed is a rethink about how we view the world and what memories we hold onto.
We can鈥檛 ignore the link between our mental and physical health. points to the World Health Organization definition of health as 鈥渁 state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.鈥� 鈥� 鈥淭here is no health without mental health,鈥� in WHO鈥檚 book.
A friend of mine shared an inspiring story regarding the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu. On their last visit to Vancouver together, my friend witnessed them running down a church hallway together, laughing and giggling like schoolboys. Both of these men have experienced great tragedy and betrayal, yet their sense of joy, innocence and beauty remains undiminished for all of us to witness. Each of them has publicly shared how their spiritual practice, which includes prayer or meditation, has made the difference in how they view life, providing an emotional stability that helps them deal with life鈥檚 tragedies and disappointments with more poise and peace. 聽
Many people are discovering that they can take control of what they carry around in memory, how they think, and, thus, how they feel. But is just using positive thinking or the human mind enough?聽 Often it is not. Like Bishop Tutu, many of us turn to prayer and the Bible or other sacred texts for guidance, and in that quiet, safe place we can learn to rethink from a more spiritual standpoint, assessing more effectively how and what to think about. This form of prayer has the potential to bring greater health to every area of our lives. 聽Then taking time to notice the spring blossoms or listen to the laugh of a child shows us that we have not lost our sense of innocence, beauty and joy 鈥� it is there - just waiting to be remembered.
Anna Bowness-Park聽is a Christian Science practitioner, and a blogger, writing frequently on the relationship between spirituality and health. You can read her blog at
You can read more posts on Spiritually Speaking
