The Cycle of Stress - How to Get Out It. A step-by-step guide.
**Overwhelmingly stressed **
Do you find yourself in a neverending cycle of stress? Let me guess, your job and daily tasks are overwhelming, and you want to feel more relaxed on daily basis. In this article, I'll explain what you can do to relieve yourself from chronic stress.
Let me start by going over why people have problems with stress.
Nowadays, almost everyone seeks relaxation. We live in a fast-paced society. We're always trying to accomplish something. Going from one job or task to another. We feel pressure to perform at a high level. People expect the best from us. We have to provide for ourselves and the people who depend on us. All of that's okay.
It's our methods to deal with it that are problematic.
We smoke, drink alcohol, and watch Netflix, or youtube videos. We do that and our stress goes away for a while. Our beer, cigarette, or tv series end, and emptiness comes in … and we switch to new stimuli, that'll make us feel good momentarily. The pattern continues, and the stress just gets bigger, and deeper.
This unhealthy experience doesn't exist because we have responsibilities, but because we avoid ourselves.
Stress is just a body's response to stimuli. We feel stress because we need our bodies to perform on a higher level. There's nothing wrong with that. The negative fact about stress is that it stays in your body even when you don't have to perform. That's how chronic stress is created - the source of most mental and physical diseases. Fortunately, there's a way to protect yourself from it.
We need our attention.
Everyone could benefit from being more mindful. The only thing we truly have is ourselves. It's easy to forget about our bodies when there are infinite ways to distract ourselves. We do it all the time.
The truth is - our problems and tensions won't go away unless we consciously observe and acknowledge them.
The best solution to chronic stress is a habit of mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of observing the present moment as it is. That means being aware of what's happening right now. Whether it's an emotion, thought, or sensation - focus your attention there. Be patient and concentrate on observing your mind or body.
Develop a habit of moving your attention to your body to see how it feels. You can do it at any time you like. You can practice mindfulness on your way to work, during a short break, while walking, lying, or sitting. Whenever you can, take a quick break, even for a minute. There's no need to close your eyes if the situation doesn't allow it.
Here is a step-by-step guide to a technique you can do at any time.
**Simple mindfulness technique **
This exercise should take you at least 1 minute to complete. You can do it longer if you like. The best way to do it is to stand up or sit down. Each time you get distracted, go back to the region of the body where you stopped and continue with the exercise.
1st - Slowly tilt your chest forward and your shoulders backward.
2nd - Tilt your head slightly upwards.
3rd - Move your head back to the original position.
4th - Take a slow, deep breath with your nose.
5th - Exhale slowly with your mouth.
6th - Place your attention on the top of your head and move it slowly toward your toes. It's your choice how much time you spend on each region of the body. Even spending 3 seconds will help release tension.
7th - Hold your awareness of any place where you experience stress.
8th - If you managed to move your attention to your toes, take a slow deep breath with your nose. Coordinate the breathing with your body - like in steps 1 and 2. Inhale - chest forward.
9th - Finally, exhale and move your chest, shoulders, and head to the original position.
Do it at least a couple of times a day to get the most benefits. This exercise is the most useful after or during whatever is causing you stress.
The best way out of stress is by focusing on the part of the body where you experience it.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you'll free yourself from chronic stress and experience a more relaxed, and fulfilling life.
Take care :)
