Five Stress Busters
How do you react when your plans fall through? Do you roll with the punches? Or does anxiety keep you from enjoying life?
First, take a deep breath. Whatever has happened or is happening is probably not as bad as it seems. There is a solution, and you will find it once you relax. Remember, most of our stress comes from the way we respond to events, not the way life really is. So, learn to adjust your attitude and most of your extra stress will dissipate.
Second, breathe once more. Know that you are going to be okay. You’ve gotten through many things in your life. You’ll get through this too.
Third, take a long, deep breath and exhale slowly. What’s coming is better than what is gone. If it’s not going to matter in five years, don’t spend more than five minutes being upset about it.
Life is too short. Get off the hamster wheel of work and learn how to relax. Too much chronic stress can produce a wide range of negative effects on the body and the brain that you don’t want.
Here are 5 things to help keep your stress under control:
1. Sleep more. It’s very common in our society to exist on less than 6 hours of sleep a night. But experts recommend 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Not just to rest our bodies, but to rejuvenate our minds. Sleeping is the time for our bodies to not just rest, to but heal.
2. Take a brisk walk. A walk outdoors can knock out stress and improve your mood almost instanteously. If you’re at work, even a short walk around the office, taking the stairs or standing up to stretch can help relieve stress.
3. Turn it off. The convenience that cell phones have added to our lives can actually be a double-edged sword. We depend on them so much it seems we can’t live without them. Our minds are constantly filled with news, social media, emails, etc. that it is nearly impossible for us to settle. Put your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed.
4. Take a holiday. It doesn’t have to be a fancy vacation resort. A day at the beach, or an afternoon at the park will do. Just anywhere you can be and not think about the bills, work, or whatever tensions you may have. It’s important to take time for yourself, so do it! You cannot give what you do not have.
5. Reconnect to what makes you happy. If there is something that used to make you happy which you have stopped doing, do it again. Seek to find deeper meaning and significance rather than living on the surface.
Remember, it all begins and ends in your mind. Whatever you give power to, has the power over you. If you allow it. So, release and let it go.
May you find peace in your spirit today.
In gratitude,
Sonia Shavers Jenkins
Published 11/29/2022
