9 WAYS TO RELIEVE STRESS
LAUGHTER
Introducing more laughter into your life is one of the most powerful (and fun) ways to relieve stress.
Nothing beats a good belly laugh for: • stimulating the production of endorphins, the body's natural happy hormones.
• reducing the level of stress hormones
• releasing pent-up physical and emotional energy
• taking the mind off stressful issues
Watch funny movies, go to a comedy club with your friends, play practical jokes, plan fun activities, spend time around children!
Most stress comes from taking life too seriously. Developing the ability to laugh at life's "bumps" and especially to laugh at ourselves is a wonderful thing. Then difficult situations become amusing, hassles become funny and disasters become great stories to tell our friends.
MEDITATION
Deep meditation produces a level of rest which is twice that of the deepest sleep, making it an extremely powerful tool for stress relief.
Another powerful benefit of meditation is developing the ability to quieten the mind. Much of the stress we experience comes as a result of addictive thinking .... chewing on the past and worrying about the future.
The average adult has around 100,000 thoughts per day, most of then stress-producing.The Ishayas Ascension, the form of meditation which I teach, is practised with eyes open as well as with eyes closed. As we practice with eyes open during the day, the amount of new stress entering the nervous system is dramatically reduced.
SPENDING TIME IN NATURE
Surrounding ourselves with the beauty of nature is one of the most powerful ways to relieve stress.
The gentle breeze blowing through the trees, the damp smell of moss, the spectacular colours of the autumn leaves and the rays of sunlight dancing on the stream are all food for the soul and fill us with a sense of awe and wonder. Stress simply melts away.
see article on gratitude
Even in the city there is beauty all around ... if we are present enough to notice it. I remember taking my daughter to the park when she was about three years old. She noticed every little detail... the insect on the leaf, the dog across the park, the pine cones on the grass... and every little thing filled her with wonder. I was so busy thinking that I hadn't even noticed the park! When we are fully present in each moment, we see magic everywhere. Living in this way, we become like teflon to stress.... nothing sticks!
Which brings us onto:
CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS
The following mindfulness exercises are powerful ways to relieve stress. Counting Your Thoughts
• Take a few deep breaths, breathing out fully as you exhale. • Bring your attention inward and watch to see what the next thought will be ... like a cat watching a mousehole.
• When the thought appears, simply give it a number and return to watching.
• When the next thought arises, count 2 and so forth.
• When you have counted to 10, return to zero and begin again.
Just Watching
Proceed as in the first exercise but this time simply observe the mind without counting. Like a scientist looking through a microscope, simply watch what is happening in your mind... without judging, without labeling, without analyzing. With mindfulness, there is no preference for pleasant mental states, nor aversion towards undesirable experiences.
EXERCISE
Physical exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. Going for a brisk walk or run, playing sport or going to the gym are all great ways to burn off excess adrenaline. Exercise also stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural happy drugs. Another great way to shake off stress is to put your your favourite music on and dance around the house. Incorporate laughter into your dance routine. Be silly and have a good laugh at yourself.... wonderful for relieving stress.
MASSAGE AND OTHER THERAPIES
Treating yourself to a massage is one of the most pleasurable ways to relieve stress. Massage is therapeutic in several ways. Physical manipulation breaks up stress in the form of knots in the muscles and tissues and also releases stress related toxins from the body. Physical touch, soothing and deeply relaxing, is also conducive to stress release. There are many other complimentary therapies which provide deep relaxation and stress relief. My personal favourites are Reiki and Reflexology... aaaahhh!!!
DEEP BREATHING EXERCISE Counting Your Breath • Breath in deeply through the nose for a count of four (count one....and....two....and....three.... and ....four) feeling the chest rise as the lungs fill up.
• Hold the breath for a further count of four.
• Breath out slowly through the mouth for a count of four, allowing all the air to leave the lungs.
• Hold the breath again, this time with the lungs emptied of air.
• Perform several repetitions
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