I just got done watching this cool documentary on stress and the effects it has on the body. It profiled the average working joe who doesn't have much say in his job, has a heavy work load, and overall isn't satisfied with his position. The effect stress was having on them was terrible. It damaged artery walls and enabled plaque to build up there, weakened the immune system, literally destroyed brain cells and hampered their growth, to name a few of the more severe ones.

In watching this I realized I have pretty much zero stress in my life. I used to be somewhat stressed when I was 16 and 17, but not too bad. And once I discovered Satanism that pretty much just went away. Realizing you're not the only whack job in the world and you should be proud how weird you are really eases your social stress. So I was wondering what the stress level of other self respecting proud people such as Satanists were. What do you think yours is?

I used to be quite wound up.
I had a dead end job (19 years), relationship wasn't much to write home about and i felt because i was too scared to get out of the rut i was in i was doomed to be this way period.

Then i found the satantic bible.
The ideas within and following books made me realise that i can change things when/how i want them.

None the less i was still pissed at the world. . .
As for releasing stess i took up tradional Wing Chun Kung Fu.
This enabled be to enhance my focus (much the same a ritual would) and reduce the stress in my life.(no room for a ritual chamber where i live so this is the next best thing)

Since i was made redundant in Feburary, i have hopped in and out of a couple jobs and i am gearing myself up to move up to the city nearby and go to Uni to study Psychology in the new year.

I heard a qoute today that summed up the journey I/we undertake.
The Zen dog is in a boat, floating on the ocean, doesn't know what the future holds, but is out to enjoy the ride

I have a low stress level.

I do not let small things bother me and I work extremely well under pressure. I prefer it that way or I get bored.

I have several hobbies and a great wife and daughter that keep me motivated and happy with life in general.

I deal with many stressful situations on a daily basis, but I always seem to keep a cool head regardless of which sweat grenade is being tossed my way. Shit happens. You just have to know how to deal with it when it does. If you know your situation, know your potential outcomes, and have a contingency plan in place for each, I believe a person can handle just about anything...except for death. That shit's permanent.

Plus I think it feels awesome to have conquered an obstacle that would make an ordinary person quit. Victory makes the struggle worthwhile.

Everything I ever wanted to know about stress, I learned from Robert Sapolsky's amazing book, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. It's a must-read.

I would also recommend reading Christina Maslach's books on burnout, such as Burnout: The Cost of Caring and The Truth About Burnout: How Organizations Cause Personal Stress and What to Do About It. Maslach has done ample research on the specific stressors and negative experiences that ultimately lead to the sense of disconnection and disenfranchisement that causes burnout.

In a nutshell, various forms of short-term stress can actually serve as a positive motivator for both your brain and your body, as it can stimulate the immune system and spark the release of endorphins.

Long-term, unabating stress, on the other hand, is what leads to that build-up of corticosteroids (stress hormones) that causes damage to the mind and body.

Additionally, when a stressor (something that causes stress) appears to be uncontrollable or unpredictable, and/or meaningless and purposeless, the resultant stress will be more severe, and more damaging, than if the individual feels that they have some modicum of control or power in their situation, or can derive some kind of meaning or purpose from the stressful event.

Me, I'm under constant stress, but that's just the name of the game I'm currently in.

Robert Sapolsky was the person in the documentary whose research they focused on. He studied a troop of baboons for 30 years. This troop only has to eat for 3 hours a day so the rest of the time is spent, as he said, being bastards to each other. The higher ranking members had very little stress in their life based on blood tests and whatnot, but the low ranking members, who got literally beat up for the sheer fun of it, had very high stress and were on their way to early graves. But after 10 years of study they got into eating garbage and all the aggressive alpha males died off because of diseases they caught. The group then became peaceful and very calm because there weren't any bullies left. For the 20 years after that happened they have had no really aggressive alpha males reestablish the old ways. In this time he continued doing stress tests on them and found that all members of the society, whether high ranking or not, had very little stress because everyone took care of everyone. And he said if baboons can do it, why can't humans?

The really fascinating part about the baboon culture when there were still alpha males was the members who were stressed were exhibiting the same illnesses and diseases humans had. Clogged arteries, damaged brain cells, high blood pressure, etc.

I've had to work on my stress level for years now. I've struggled with anxiety, too. I help oversee a large credit union branch, so there's a lot of responsibility on my plate. I've been in the field for roughly two years now & I'm still very green & learning new things every day. I am a perfectionist, so I expect nothing but greatness most of the time from myself. At times this can be a great motivator, others it can hinder my well-being & psyche. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm doing well, otherwise I wouldn't have held the position for this long.

I also suffered from some anxiety with one of my favorite hobbies/passions...skydiving. I've ridden the plane down a few times now & I really beat myself up about it. I've since overcome the illogical fears I was having & look forward to enjoying the blue skies once again this weekend! The philosophy of Satanism has absolutely helped shape me into being a better person. I held these values before I even knew of Satanism, but to have a philosophy that I hold in such high regard, it keeps me in check to challenge & push myself into new territories.

Stress is one of the worst things for your body! I too watched, from what I can gather, the same documentary. It's amazing what the mind can do (we see it every day in conventional society) & the physiological effects it can have on our bodies. I have to keep myself in check every day, but I've overcome this beast without medication or professional help. Through ritual & a rational worldview I have been able to keep it in check & continue to be successful in my earthly endeavors.

Thank you so much for this post, Witch TrojZyr! I've had the Zebra book on my "to read" list forever and I know I would've gotten to it eventually but your recommendation bumped it to the top. Also, "burnout" is something that hadn't even hit my radar, something I've never even considered learning about. The books you listed look very useful!

Are there really people out there who are not stressed? And are not fullblown sociopaths? That is such a foreign concept to me. I've always looked at stress as something like air. It's a constant, a given. It's not something you have zero of, it is always there. Sometimes the quality changes though, sometimes the pollen count is higher, sometimes it's practically code red radioactive nuclear fallout. Sell stress relief and you've got as much job security as the IRS, gravediggers and bartenders.

I'm one of those nervous disposition types, like perpetual hay fever, very allergic to real and imagined stress. Always fidgety, facial tics, muscle spasms, diagnosed with hypertension at age 16, chronic insomnia since... birth, indigestion, headaches, blah de blah blah. So, stress management is big chunk of my toolbox.

Unfortunately, discovering Satanism wasn't some magic Benadryl bullet for me, it did not instantly lower my blood pressure. It was still totally Sinatra though.

Ah! Yet another thing we have in common.

I view stress as something akin to nuclear waste.

You have a nuclear power plant, you get waste, period.

It's just there. You try to design the plant to make as little as possible in the first place, and try to manage the waste as best you can. And one better damn well pay attention to the little meters that tell you when it's reaching really dangerous levels.

But not having it is not an option. That's like a cruel joke.

I guess some peoples lives are more like windmills or solar panels.

Lucky bastards.

Or, perhaps it's self-deceit.

I've certainly had periods where my stress level was low or negligible, but yes--I view stress more-or-less as a fact of life.

This is largely thanks to that darned ol' hedonic treadmill. Whatever highs or lows we may experience, our standards and expectations adjust accordingly over time, and we find ourselves back at or near the emotional "zero point" sooner or later.

I'm not really a nervous type--especially compared to many people I know--but I am rather conscientious, and quite future-focused. Fortunately, I also have a sense of fun and play, so I have ways of managing or releasing stress. I also try to remind myself of what I can control, and what I can't, and I make an effort to break larger tasks or problems into manageable bite-sized pieces.

On average? Fairly high. I wouldn't want to have it any other way. It gets shit done.

There is stress, and there is eustress.

Then there's "joyful stress"! A Satanic lesson from The Jeffersons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn1bqemvzXQ#t=3m50s

I can dig that. I inherit hypertension from my father, but that is easily counteracted with meds.

"Joyful Stress" can be alleviated with exercise and meditation!