Immune To Stress?
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No One Is Immune To Stress
How many times have you felt at the end of the day that you’re feeling frazzled and filled with pent-up feelings and thoughts? You don’t want to vent it all on your partner or kids — and you hate it when you do. We all have those days — no one is immune to stress!
It’s normal to feel this way, especially after a most challenging day at work. You’re not alone. If you’re a female entrepreneur dealing with a variety of strong feelings, and daily demands from your children and partner it’s no wonder your stress level builds up over the course of a day! Some women, depending on their cultural background, have been taught to keep a stiff upper lip and not to say anything that seems like a complaint — which just keeps things bottled up and festering.
That age-old word, “communication” is crucial when it comes to “clearing the air” with your spouse, or your kids, or for that matter, anyone who’s causing your stress levels to rise. Also, it’s always helpful to be able to let go of bad feelings, thoughts, stresses, or tensions as best you can.
Why not try some easy, practical exercises for letting go of all that bothers or stresses you. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!
Relax Your Body
It is almost impossible to be upset when your body is relaxed. Try one of these relaxation skills, even in the middle of a challenging situation — the result will surprise you:
- Breathe slowly and deeply while imagining that the tension is leaving your body with each breath. Yes, this is one form of meditation!
- Try to inhale and exhale for the same amount of time (e.g., inhale for a count of four, exhale for four). Imagine that the breath is going in and out of the region of your heart. Meanwhile, recall or think about things that give you an appreciative, grateful, loving feeling.
- If you’re finding it challenging to meditate, try this little trick that will help you breathe deeply. Exhale fully, then hold the exhalation for a couple of seconds — when you finally inhale, you’ll naturally take a big breath.
- Deliberately try to relax certain trigger points, such as the jaw muscles, pelvic floor, or the space between your eyebrows — known as the “third eye.”
- Recall or imagine a very happy, peaceful scene.
You can try deepening your capacity to relax when the fur starts flying by practicing relaxation techniques at calmer times. Why not try these relaxation techniques while in bed, right before going to sleep, or right after you awake in the morning?
- Systematically pay attention to each major part of your body, starting with your toes, feet, and ankles, working your way up your body to your arms, and finally to the top of your head. If it helps to keep you focused, in your mind repeat a phrase like “relax,” or “breath,” or some single word you feel would help you relax.
- Tense your muscles for about five seconds and then relax completely.
- Imagine that you are v-e-r-y heavy, sinking more and more deeply into your bed
- Imagine that your hands are very warm, like holding a cup of hot cocoa (this one is especially good for insomnia)
Initially, you may think this is a silly “game.” But, if you try these exercises, and practice them regularly, over time, they will become a habit and you will have learned how to control the stresses of your job. Congratulations!
You may even surprise yourself by unconsciously, quietly doing one or two of these exercises during stressful work situations because you know the benefits — less or no stress!
“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.” — Dalai Lama.
This article was originally published on my site at https://donnapresents.com/immune-to-stress/.
Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping. These days, not so much, not since I completed the no-cost Action Habits Challenge by Connie Ragen Green, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, independent publisher, and serial entrepreneur. You can check it out here.
If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.
I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind,
and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies on how to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.
