We always enjoy getting a new perspective on stress management from other teachers, and Deepak Chopra is one of everyone’s favorites. He’s got a great ability to simplify things down to their fundamentals while still conveying the beauty and wonder of our complex natures. You can listen to a short clip of him being interviewed by Dr. Mehmet Oz on Oprah Radio here.
In this interview Deepak echoes our belief that healthy stress management is a skill that anyone can learn. As he says, it’s not your environment – the people or situations surrounding you – that determines your stress levels. The important thing is the way you respond to your environment. If you learn how to manage your stress better, a situation that used to be overwhelming and unhealthy for you can become something that you sail through with ease. We are amazing beings with so much potential, and learning how to work with stress is a crucial key to unlocking that wonderful potential.
Be careful when using stress management as a band-aid. Don't ignore your inner knowing. 
Be careful here…
Now we would also add that just because you can make yourself feel more relaxed and at ease in a difficult environment doesn’t mean that you should stay in that environment! We all have to be careful not to try to use stress management as a permanent band-aid on the parts of our lives that aren’t aligned with our true purpose and greatest happiness. We can all learn how to feel better under stress, but we should also listen to the messages that stress is trying to deliver to us.
Just because we can use relaxation techniques to feel better in our current job or our rocky relationship, doesn’t mean that we should necessarily stay in that job or relationship! But if you can learn how to better deal with the stress you have now, then you can clear some mental and emotional space to just naturally make better decisions about your life. When we are relaxed, we can choose to make those life decisions from a place of ease and strength, rather than a place of fear and discomfort.