I have been thinking a lot about how our culture normalizes stress. Many of us are chronically busy, tired, and stretched too thin, and the toiling has tipped into dangerous territory. Peace, mindfulness, balance, gratitude…these are things we now have to “practice” and “carve out time for”; they are not our way of life, just anomalous moments in a culture of stress.
Remember when Covid hit and many people started noticing that, despite the horror of the pandemic, it felt healthy to slow down? As life ramps back up, the lessons from the pause are quietly receding.
Stress culture is sneaky. (Here’s my full blog post on this thought.)
I believe the systems we operate in bear a responsibility to create change. Our culture perpetuates the myth that professional success and personal wellness are dichotomous; a paper I recently published in The HR Director breaks down this myth and calls organizational leaders to the table to create change.
It is not enough to treat each person who is suffering in stress culture. The core problem is not internal, it is external. We need broader brushstrokes and more systemic change.
I am exploring new ways to invite businesses, organizations, and institutions into the conversation to create an anti stress culture movement. For now, one step I can take (in addition to publishing in trade magazines!) is to offer a deep discount to organizations who want to promote a culture of wellness by giving personnel access to my Resilience e-course. If your business, school, hospital, or other organization wants details, click here.
Cultural change is not quick work, and in the meantime, we need to continue to choose to reject stress culture for ourselves. Seek balance. Remember that life is about the experience you have as you live it, not about accolades earned as you go.
Here’s a guided visualization from Resilience that you can use to ground yourself and clear your space, and call your energy back from the stress-inducing demands of your life. I hope it replenishes you!
Yours in reflection,
Lindsay
Lindsay B. Jernigan, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist – Doctorate
Eastern View Integrative Medicine
185 Tilley Dr. #14
South Burlington, VT 05403
802-229-8270
drlindsayjernigan.com
instagram.com/dr.lindsayjernigan