It’s time for more stress busting ideas! Please relax as you read this…soften your eyes, push your sit bones down into your chair so you have good alignment and breathe gently.
Stress gets to us all. You maybe really positive, eat well, exercise the appropriate amount but if stress isn’t managed it can easily lead to poor health…and this programme is all about good health now and forever.
Read on for 10 tips about how to deal with stress
If you look up the meaning of stress, you get something like this…
…’a state of mental or emotional tension resulting from demanding circumstances’.
We can add to this that the physical body also changes when under tension/discomfort. In stressful situations, your heart beats faster, your blood pressure goes up, your breathing becomes shallow and rapid and your muscles begin to tighten. Our ancient ancestors would experience this when faced with a life or death situation…chemicals would be released in their blood stream to prepare for battle or to flee. Let’s leave the Fight or Flight chemicals for meetings with sabre tooth tigers!
On the flip side, not all stress is bad. Every time you do one of the ‘Restore Your Body’ strength routines, you put pressure on your muscles and bones and they respond by getting stronger. Also, mental pressure to reach a deadline can help you get a task completed and you end up producing great work. In other words stress can be a powerful and exciting motivator…you start to flow with the stress and ride it much like a surfer…above the wave!
But, what about unwanted stress that builds up to a strong discomfort, even to a state of anger? This is the kind of stress we need to deal with in the moment. Life will be tough at times, your beliefs will be crossed and you feel you are losing control…tension begins.
The big question is…what do you do when this happens?
Here are a 10 points to consider about stress:
- Stress arises when something other than what you want is happening. This can manifest as tension for your mind, emotions and/or physical body. You can simply reduce everyday stress by:
‘letting go of your desired outcome and embracing the present moment as is’
- Embrace the unknown. If you find yourself worrying about the future, switch that worry to intrigue. Curiosity opens you to the present and there is unending creatively and spontaneity with present moment awareness.
- Stress is exaggerated when you respond from belief systems. In fact, you can actually trace all stress back to past conditioning/beliefs. Here is an example: If you believe you should never be late, then stress is guaranteed when your train is cancelled. Another person in the same situation is also going to be late, but decides to relax and accept what’s happening. One of these individuals is going to live a longer, happier life. Don’t let small daily inconveniences get to you…surf above it all. There is something to be said for trusting that the reason the train was cancelled for actually for your good. (Good that may not be revealed until a later date).
- A key point is to notice stress the moment it arises. Become present, be aware. Catch it as early as possible. In last week’s video, I had you tense then release muscles consciously. It’s the same with stress. Become aware then let it go…release it, don’t feed it!
The moment you notice stress, remember his moto:
RELAX – BECOME PRESENT – BREATHE GENTLY – TRUST
- Be the one to calm a situation. When you next notice stress, act from as place of presence and you are more likely to stay calm. If you react without thinking, then you are increasing the tension for you (and others involved) and you will be more likely to have a negative response.
Half way through these 10 tips – Please check that your eyes are still soft,
your sit bones are connected, easy shoulders and relaxed breathing.
- How you deal with a stressful situation affects how it impacts your future. Acting calmly and with awareness will have less future negative connotations. Be calm now to create a happier future.
- If stress seems to be a continuous back-ground niggle (different to a sudden event), then talk with somebody about it. Unexpressed thoughts and emotions are a way of creating internal stress that can manifest as physical tension…all self imposed. Be honest and calm as you discuss what needs to be expressed.
- Remember, you’re not in control of a situation – otherwise the weather would always be how you like it, you would never hit a red light and everybody would do exactly what you ask! What you can control, however is your reaction to a situation. So, when you approach the traffic lights and they change to red, what do you do?
RELAX – BECOME PRESENT – BREATHE GENTLY – TRUST
Enjoy a few easy breaths and smile.
When the light changes…check your mirrors and calmly drive off!
- Tension creates a toxic environment that is unhealthy for you, your family, pets, friends and colleagues. So, when tension arises, turn your mood around before it spills out onto others. Why not let your default face by a light smile? Just widen your brow, soften your eyes and turn the sides of your mouth up…give it a go….happiness is infectious!
- Living in a state of calmness is not something to save for holidays. Through presence and non-preference, even chores can become enjoyable. So, next time your house/office is a mess, just smile, stay present and begin to tidy one area. Before you know it, everything will be organised!
What to do next
Choose a couple of these tips and let them infiltrate into your daily life. Come back in a few days and re-read the list and choose a couple more.
Thanks for reading. At first these ideas of releasing stress can seem alien and be quite difficult to implement. I just encourage you to try and notice what happens.
Finally, what is one of the best (healthiest) ways to relax?…EXERCISE! Go for one of the sprint routines today and then play one of the relaxations after.
Take care, smile today.
Thanks Danny
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