The Tao of Stress: How to Calm, Balance, and Simplify Your Life by Robert G. Santee Page A

empty of distractions, he read the
    questions, smiled, and started to fill in his responses. Gary was
    tired and anxious, and his mind was full of negative judgments and doubt. He looked at the questions, told himself the test was really hard, and wondered if he could pass the exam. Damian was also
    tired, and as he looked at the questions, he realized he didn’t have a clue about how to answer. He became extremely anxious, his
    mind racing and becoming cluttered.
    Not surprisingly, Mark aced the exam. He had approached it
    in a natural, holistic manner. Because his mind was empty of
    distractions and problematic thoughts, judgments, and beliefs, he
    didn’t interfere with himself. His behavior in preparing for the test, including how he studied, was neither excessive nor deficient. He
    was free of chronic stress. His yin and yang were in harmony.
    Gary barely passed. His mind was agitated, cluttered, and
    highly distractible. His thoughts, judgments, and beliefs were
    problematic. Gary interfered with himself by constantly worrying
    and doubting himself when he looked at the questions. His
    behavior in preparing for the test also interfered with his
    performance because he was excessive in his studying, deficient in his sleep, and didn’t recognize his chronic stress or do anything to address it. His yin and yang were not in harmony.
    Damian failed. His mind was agitated and muddled, and he
    couldn’t focus. His thoughts, judgments, and beliefs were
    problematic. Damian’s behavior in preparing for the test interfered with his performance because he was deficient in his studying,
    deficient in his sleep, and excessive in having fun. In addition, he interfered with himself by getting highly anxious when he looked
    at the questions. His yin and yang were not in harmony.
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    The Tao of Stress
    Wuwei and Eating and Drinking
    By not eating enough or eating too much, we interfere with our own well- being. By not drinking enough water or drinking too many unhealthful beverages, we interfere with our own well- being.
    In chapter 2, I asked you to participate in the exercise Eating with Guan. Part of that exercise involved not engaging in any activities while eating. Essentially, you were asked to remove anything that interfered with focusing solely on eating. You were behaviorally participating in the process of wuwei.
    Psychologically, when we eat we need to have our minds focused on
    just eating, not thinking about anything else. We certainly don’t want any negative thoughts, such as worrying, complaining, criticizing, moaning, or whining, in our heads while we’re eating. As you now know, all of these forms of thinking are threat based and can activate and maintain the fight- or- flight response. It’s best if nothing interferes with eating, but stress is particularly problematic because it also interferes with digestion. When we remove these barriers, we are no longer interfering with ourselves. Psychologically, we are participating in wuwei as we eat.
    For Taoists, eating is an occasion to slow down and enjoy a normal function of life. Moderation is key not only in what and how much we eat, but also in how we eat. Most people tend to eat too fast, which interferes with the natural functioning of the body. We aren’t wired to shovel food down our throats in a matter of seconds. We need to taste and thoroughly chew our food before swallowing. We need to take our time and eat in a natural, stress- free manner.
    Practice ReflectingonWuweiwithEating
    and Drinking
    Take some time to think about how you interfere with your own eating and drinking. Consider meals, snacks, and various beverages that
    you drink throughout the day. This includes when you’re eating with others. Is there anything that you do or anything about the context in which you eat that interferes with just eating and drinking? Make 74
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    Not Interfering with Yourself or Others
    a list of anything that interferes with