Stress Relief Secret #6: Plan for Pleasure

Here’s a great stress reducing secret I learned from Paul Pearsall, author of The Pleasure Prescription—a pleasurable experience does more good for your body than a stressful experience does harm. That’s great news!

What it means is that we don’t have to avoid stress, we just have to find ways to make our lives more pleasurable. The problem is that advertising and culture have convinced us that if we don’t have certain things, we can’t be happy. So, basically we tell ourselves, I have no right to enjoy this pleasure if this and this and this aren’t right in my life. I know, I’ve been a workaholic myself.
Also, we have convinced ourselves that having fun, that is, experiencing pleasure costs a lot of money. But how much money does it take to cuddle with someone or trade back rubs? How much money does it take to take a walk in the park or get out in nature? How much money is a warm, relaxing bath with some essential oils and a candle? There are many pleasurable activities we can engage in that don’t cost a lot of money.
Oh, but I might caution you that watching TV is not a very good stress reducer. TV is designed to stimulate us, not relax us. Yes, TV (and video games, too), kind of lull us into a trance-like state, but that’s not the same as doing something that’s actually physically pleasurable. Engage your body and your senses, not just your mind.
You can even make ordinary activities pleasurable by focusing on your sensory experience as you do them. For instance, pay more attention to your food when you are eating. Notice the colors, the smells and the taste and focus your attention on them. Remember that when you engage your body and senses you have to be in the present moment. So, learning to experience pleasure also helps you to stay in the present moment.
About Steven Horne, RH (AHG)
Steven Horne is a Registered Herbalist with and a past president of the American Herbalist Guild (AHG). He is the author of numerous books and courses on herbs and natural healing and has lectured on this subject all over the world. He is the father of five children, who were all raised on natural remedies. Because he’s learned how to provide primary health care to his children in the home, he’s only had to make three visits to a medical doctor for illnesses with his five children.
Copyright Steven H. Horne
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