Inauthenticity Leads to Chronic Stress
If we add up the number of years that might be lost because of stress and living in the fictional self, it would be thirty-two years! - Dr Phil McGraw
๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ง๐โ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง? ๐๐ก๐จ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ? ๐ณ ๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌโฆ
Yesterday, I started the conversation on toxic environments and how our body triggers a fight-or-flight response when faced with danger in our environment.
However, because toxic environments donโt present any physical danger, we often ignore the alarm systems that go off internally.
If youโre wondering what alarm systems are going off. See some examples below:
๐You lose your peace.
๐Youโre unhappy and depressed.
๐You are stressed.
๐Youโre mentally exhausted and emotionally flat.
๐You are always on edge and anxious.
In the fight-or-flight reaction, there are three stages: Alarm, Resistance, and Exhaustion.
Research shows that when the body experiences the alarm and resistance stages frequently, in the long run, it begins to shut down.
Chronic stress weakens our immune system as itโs in constant fighting mode until it eventually shuts down.
According to Dr Phil McGraw, in his book Self Matters, ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ by living this kind of prolonged stress.
He further quotes Dr Michael Roizen's research that for every year that we live with high stress, we shorten our life expectancy by three years. When we don't have an outlet for our true passion, it costs us another six years. If someone is draining our energy due to constant turmoil and conflict, we lose another eight years.
Wow! When I read this, I was literally shocked! Eyes wide, mouth open, kind of shocked.
The average life expectancy in the world is about 73 years according to the UN data. And for some countries like Nigeria, itโs even lower at 56 years! ๐ข
Tell me again why youโre choosing to stay in a toxic environment that compromises your mental, emotional, spiritual and eventually, physical health.
I hope by reading this, you find the courage to evaluate your environment and ask yourself, โ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐?โ
If youโre not, please itโs time to start devising your exit strategy to get yourself to safety.
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You're a gem ๐, remember that. Keep living your bedazzled life, one day at a time.
