The problem with stress
For many of us, stress is a part of everyday life. And that’s exactly how it should be.
Stress itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It keeps us on-our-toes, it helps us to learn, and it can also be exciting.
Many people say they work best ‘under pressure’. Scary movies are another way stress can be exciting.
Stress, fear and anxiety all result in the release of Cortisol and Adrenaline. And, they’re great for getting us ready to deal with any possibly harmful consequences.
The issues with stress, occur because we not built to easily let go of that feeling once the event has past.
Animals are great at letting it go! One minute, the Antelope is happily grazing by the watering hole, Then the hungry Lion shows up.
The Antelope goes into survival mode and runs for his life focusing only on staying alive.
The very second the danger has passed, he goes back to grazing happily again without a care.
Humans are entirely different. we hang on to that stress. We try to evaluate why it happened. What did we do to cause it? What should we do differently if it happens again? etc.
There’s often not much we can do to prevent the cause of that stress. But, we can definitely do something about the effect it has on us afterwards. So, let’s get started.
How to calm your mind
The four steps are pretty simple to follow and don’t take much time from your busy day.
- Get yourself comfortable and set your intention for the next few minutes.
- Take a few deep breaths, while focusing on each inhale and exhale, to calm your mind.
- With your eyes closed, just be aware of what’s going on around you.
- As each sound, smell, thought, etc. drops into your awareness, simply notice it without judgement. There’s no need to work out what it is. No need to describe it, or even put a name to it. Just accept it as it is and then let it pass.
Simply by allowing yourself to stay in the present moment, your mind will begin to counteract any built up stress.
In fact, spending a few minutes everyday doing this short exercise, will start to mould new pathways in your brain. Over time, teaching your mind to almost do it automatically. You could even make it part of a simple daily meditation.
Why not try it out today? We can all do with some extra calmness and relaxation, even when we’re not stressed 🙂
.Let me know how it goes.
