Coping with stress

Abstract

Albert Schweitzer once said that happiness is nothing more than good health and a poor memory. While his comment about poor memory may meet with objections—after all, who wants to be accused of being in a state of denial?—monitoring health is undeniably important. If we don’t protect our health, the attainment of happiness is an impossible pursuit. When all is said and done, our physical condition strongly influences (and in some cases even determines) our mental state. According to many stress researchers, physical state is a strong predictor of happiness, particularly for the old. The ego is first and foremost a bodily ego. It’s hard to think clearly when we’re in poor physical condition. As a result, when we’re assailed by ill health, our thoughts and conversation tend to be limited to a discussion about our various physical ailments. At times, all of us have encountered people who converse only in somatic language—the language of bodily concerns.