The Jordan Method, The Mind Part II, Stress Management
Saturday June 15, 2024 by Christopher Jordan

The operative word in the sub-title above is “Management.” This narrative is not titled “Stress Avoidance.” Various forms of stress can present themselves to all of us at different times and in different ways. Who responds to what and how is as individual as we all are. What is most important is to identify any untoward response and understand how the response is connected to the stressor.

In the narrative that was the introduction to “The Mind,” stress management was introduced relative to the emotional Self, especially as it could potentially have value in supporting our vitality. As mentioned in that narrative, the emotional Self is closer to the body. There are physiological mechanisms that can describe how the body is driven by emotions. Fortunately, the intellect can be employed to temper or eliminate those that might have a more negative emotional impact on the Body. Thus, the management of stress is through purposeful decisions we can make intellectually, in order to respond in healthy ways to stressors, or create situations that reduce the onset of stress.

In the narrative from Dr. Jordan sub-titled “Meditation,” it will be clear that we will address the intellect in order to achieve a clearer more centered state. The intellect can also aid in our capacity to create responses to stressors as they occur that are not detrimental to our well-being. It is through intellectual understanding of how a stressor can trigger us that we can possibly alter our perception of the stressor and therefore potentially reduce its impact. Meditation can be a tool to aid in the identification of states of perception, which gives us a chance to “choose” ones that are more conducive to our well-being.

The two aspects of Life that Dr. Jordan and his wife, Mercedes have identified as the most frequent cause of personal stress are: time management and communication. If you want to reduce the stress level of your life, get a hold on these common poorly managed elements of our society. Time management is scheduling with realistic awareness of time. What does an event or an appointment really require in time? How long does it typically take us to prepare to leave our dwelling? If we make regular trips anywhere near or far, how much time has it usually taken? Always make room for unexpected alterations to our schedule. Trying to squeeze more events into a block of time than are realistically possible, will more likely than not, produce most of the negative emotions associated with stress.

Communication reduces or eliminates the opportunity for misunderstanding or disappointment. It clarifies agreements and identifies truer expectations. With repeated engagement between one another, clear communication can help us identify individuals with whom we can trust, with whom our interactions are supportive of our well-being. Being around people who are honest, trustworthy and considerate of each other are more nourishing. Those that are not, should be engaged only as absolutely necessary or not at all. All of us should be the former. As we care about each other, as we care for each other, we live in a less stressful World.

It has been said that, “The Heart without the Mind is foolish, the Mind without the Heart is cruel.” This illustrates the need for both intellect and emotion. When a person is acting irrationally, we try to reason with them. We engage their intellect. When someone appears cold and distant, we engage them emotionally. We respond to them in a light-heart-ed way. Stress management means that we acknowledge that we live with challenges, but we live with them with clear minds and joyful hearts.