Being Happy Can Hurt!

Celebrating - Too Much Going On!

The festive season is upon us once again. We can throw ourselves into the routine of shopping for gifts (for ourselves and others), parties, meeting family, holiday trips…

At a time like this it seems a bit odd to talk about tension. Whatever  our problems, most of us can - and do - give ourselves over to wholeheartedly enjoying the festivities.

Have you ever considered that happiness can make you tense as well, and hurt you as much as unhappiness can?

We’re all familiar with the idea that problems bring stress, stress brings tension, tension affects our bodies and causes problems.

Now you can replace the word ‘problems’ in that sentence with ‘enjoyment’, or ‘festivities’, or ‘parties’ and it would be just as true. Our muscles can be as over active when we’re happy and excited as they can be when we’re trying get through work or personal crises.

Try to notice what’s going on with you when you’re, say, at a party, or a family celebration. You might notice that there’s actually quite a lot of unnecessary tension in your muscles, which you could let go of, and still enjoy yourself just as thoroughly. Even better, perhaps.

A core of quietness brings more spontaneity into our actions, deepens enjoyment, and, as a bonus, protects us from injury.