We are living through some pretty stressful times in the world. As deliberate creators it’s more important than ever to consciously practice shifting from stress and worry to relaxation and positivity. We create what we give our energy, attention and focus to, and fear, stress and anxiety are some pretty strong emotions. In order to stop creating what we fear and start creating what we want, it’s important to be able to get into the higher flow. Below are some ideas for shifting from stress to ease.
1. Check in with yourself frequently. The first step is to realize you’re feeling stressed. You can’t change what you’re not aware of. Throughout the day, stop and ask yourself, “How am I feeling right now?” Notice the signals your body is giving you, such as places where you hold tension and your breathing.
2. Deepen and slow your breathing. We tend to hold our breath or breathe shallowly when under stress. Consciously breathe into your abdomen and let it out slowly. To start, it’s helpful to count: Breathe in for three, hold one, exhale for six, hold out for one. Repeat until you feel yourself relaxing. You can adjust the timing of the counts as feels good to you.
3. Understand what you can control and what you have no control over. For example: We don’t have control over a pandemic or other people’s behavior. We do have control over our own choices and our thoughts and reactions. Let go of the things you can’t control and focus on the things you can.
4. Amp up your self care. Most people are so busy that they leave out the crucial step to well-being of practicing self care. There are ways to fit self care into your schedule, however. A hot shower before bed, or a soak in the tub with epsom salts and baking soda are very relaxing and renewing. Listening to your favorite music or a positive podcast can be an easy part of your routine. You can even do that in the car. What kinds of things relax and renew you? Make a list and pick one to start.
5. Take a walk. Both exercise and being out in nature are great ways to banish stress and tension. If you just have 10 minutes—do it! If you have longer, enjoy!
6. Practice gratitude. If you’re familiar with me, you know that gratitude is something I mention a lot. When we focus on all we have to be grateful for, we align ourselves with the higher flow. I find a gratitude practice always leaves me feeling energized and feeling great! I like to write down my gratitudes and then say them out loud. And, once you get into the habit, you can do gratitudes in the shower, the car, on your walk or anywhere else you like.
7. Give blessings to other people. This is a fun thing to do that I learned from the wonderful spiritual teacher Matt Kahn. Wherever you are, just send out thoughts of goodwill and blessings to the people around you. You may be surprised at how the energy changes. Bless them with health and well-being, love, abundance. Also, if there is something you can do to help someone else, you’ll find your stress melting away in the joy of giving.
8. Meditate. Meditation need not take an hour! Even 10 to 15 minute meditations can be very helpful in quieting your mind and allowing in a sense of peace. Many people enjoy guided meditations. There’s a nice app called Insight Timer that allows you to meditate silently or choose from a variety of guided meditations. You can listen to meditations streaming on my website for free or find guided meditations online.
[tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#stressrelief #stressreduction”][article] 8 Steps to Relieve Stress[/tweetthis]
I recommend choosing one of these suggestions to start and adding more in as you can. Which one do you resonate with the most? Let me know in the comments below!
