Have you ever experienced:
- Feeling overwhelmed? Scattered?
- Pulled in 100+ different directions?
- Your mind in overdrive?
- Afraid of saying no because you don’t want to disappoint?
- You can’t turn off your mind turning round-and-round — even to sleep?
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Have you ever experienced:
- Feeling overwhelmed? Scattered?
- Pulled in 100+ different directions?
- Your mind in overdrive?
- Afraid of saying no because you don’t want to disappoint?
- You can’t turn off your mind turning round-and-round — even to sleep?
Any of these feelings and more are common expressions of stress. This link, by the American Institute of Stress, is quite eye-opening: http://www.stress.org/stress-is-killing-you/
The good news is today, you can apply these easy-to-do tips to reduce your stress:
Laugh Out Loud: Laughter is an easy place to start. A good belly laugh doesn’t just lighten your stress mentally, it does physically as well. It does this by lowering cortisol, your body stress hormone, while increasing brain chemicals called endorphins that boost your mood. So lighten up and laugh!
Get Moving: You don’t have to run in order to get a runner’s high. All forms of movement, from walking to stretching, can ease stress and anxiety by helping your brain release those feel-good chemicals which give your body and mind an opportunity to deal with stress. You could just walk around the block, take the stairs up and down a few flights, or do some stretching such as shoulder shrugs and head rolls.
Crank Up the Tunes: Research shows that listening to soothing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress. You can also blow off steam by rocking out to more upbeat tunes and/or singing at the top of your lungs! Try creating a playlist of soothing sounds (like the ocean, a mountain stream, rain) and/or your favorite upbeat songs and have fun!
Be Present: Do you rush through your meals, constantly look at your cell phone, multi-task and race to finish one more thing on your list? Now try something different: Slow down.
Take a few minutes to focus on what you are actually presently doing. Simply notice how your feet feel on the ground or the noises and colors around you. Slowly chew your food to enjoy the smell, taste and texture of each bite. Let any distracting thoughts float by like clouds. By doing this, you should will feel the tension leave your body by just spending time in the moment.
Be Grateful: “Being grateful cancels out negative thoughts and worries,” says Joni Emerging, a wellness coach in Greenville, North Carolina. And remember always, ALWAYS, there is always something to be thankful for.
Finally, give yourself a break, stop the negative self-talk and bullying…and take a deep breath, literally.
As a free bonus tip, see “The Relaxation Response” discovered by Dr. Benson at Harvard Medical School. He routinely recommends this to treat patients suffering from heart conditions, high blood pressure, chronic pain, insomnia, and many other ailments. He will walk you through the 5 steps… click here.
