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47.8%ANMag Issue 26 Global Awareness
Stress Keeps You From Enjoying Life: Mr. and Mrs. Ideal Revisited
By Danellandia Foundation
Stress is without doubt one of the main ailments of our modern society. Why are so many people under stress, some almost continuously?
Stress is mainly caused by external factors. The personal ability to cope with stress depends on heredity and on character. Our modern society puts a lot of pressure on people. We are expected to be in top condition all the time to keep up with the rhythm society imposes on us. We always have to rush to meet the high demands of present-day society. We have to be young, active, stress-resistant, modern, competitive, and we have to have a strong character by not showing or giving in to feelings.
The media plays a big part regarding the image of the ideal man and woman in our society. They add some additional requirements, like beautiful, bold and rich. The media is filled with news that makes us feel we have to admire all of those characteristics, even when displayed by men and women that have only a superficial personality.
So why are so many people under stress? Because they cannot meet these high demands. Actually, almost nobody can. Lots of people just keep up appearances
Africans that get to know our rhythm of life, often say that we are "like madmen running after ourselves". They are quite right. We always want to be better or have more. So we project an image of ourselves that is influenced by society, the media and marketing. To make that image a reality we have to run after it. Once we get there, there is already a new image. So, the process continues in a never-ending spiral. People never seem to come to rest and fully enjoy life, until something ugly happens and people become so stressed-up that they end in a depression or, worse, commit suicide or resort to violence.
These people should not take the blame for it entirely. The biggest blame is to be taken by our modern society that expects everyone to be like automatic clockwork that never stops and that shows no feelings to upset the mechanism.
Putting so many people under stress or excluding people from society because it simply is not adapted to everyone, leads to depression and other psychological problems. People simply were not made to act like a mechanism. Our society has become too "robotized" or too "financialized".
How to get out of stress? By not giving in to the daily bombardment by the media and marketing of the "ideal image" since it definitely is not the "ideal". This is done by being satisfied with yourself and not wanting to look like the media-imposed Mr. and Mrs. Ideal. Why buy a car that is too expensive for your budget, when a middle-class one will do equally as well? "What will the neighbors say?" That is the worst question you can ever ask. It will always make you want more and give you the feeling of never having enough. Why do you want to be superior or do you need to feel inferior? You were made to believe that is the way to be.
Stress can also be reduced when living at a level below what your standards can afford. Living above one's standards will positively downgrade the quality of your life and that of your family. Living below your standards will allow you to have excess income and you will no longer need to rush.
Another way to ease off stress is by boosting your personality through deeds and not through paraphernalia or accessories that you cannot afford but that you are made to believe you need to have to be modern or to feel exclusive. You are already exclusive, because no two people in the entire world are the same.
Fashion is based on making you feel out-dated if you do not follow it. Or on making you believe you can be exclusive by wearing it. Exclusivity is an "inside" characteristic though and the more importance you put on "outside" paraphernalia the more you seem to want to hide your true character or personality.
Be yourself and do not let yourself be driven by the image of Mr. or Mrs. Ideal. Live below your standards and enjoy life with your partner, family and friends. You will have more peace and less stress.