In the world today life itself can be so stressful. We seem to have so much more to do and less time to do it in. In our younger lives our parents either stayed home to look after the kids or went to work. These days it seems like we have to do it all.
We are supposed to be superwoman. The thing is we can all do superwoman for a short time but it is not a lifestyle. We end up burning out our bodies and become stressed. This is not a lifestyle many of us want but we get swept away in all of the things we need to do.
So what are some things you can do to reduce stress, keep calm in your life so you can start to feel balanced again?
How To Reduce Stress
Meditation
More and more people are practising meditation these days. It is quick, easy and FREE. ALL of us can find some time out of our day to take some time for ourselves if we want to.
(No excuses we all have 24 hours in a day but some make “me time” a priority and some don’t – it is that simple). 5 or 10 minutes is better than nothing.
Exercise
Exercise reduces our stress levels by enhancing our stress busting hormones. You can go for a walk, run, swim, go to the gym, whatever feels right for you. You don’t need to be a gym junkie to get the benefits of exercise.
Start exercising 3 times a week and notice the difference in your stress levels.
Talk To Friends
A problem shared is a problem halved. When we speak about the things that are stressing us out it feels better. When we hold our troubles inside of us they get bigger and bigger and we think about them more and more.
A great way to stop this from happening is by talking about your problems. That is why therapy works. You never know your friend may even have a solution for you.
Make A Plan. Take Action
When we get overwhelmed we get stressed. So what can we do to lessen the stress? Make a plan and take action. Make the steps small steps.
It may take a day, week, month or year to get the desired outcome you are looking for but if you take a small step every day you will get the outcome you want. Rather than focusing on the big steps focus on the small ones.
Smile
Did you know that smiling triggers activity in your left frontal cortex of your brain? This is the area of your brain that registers happiness. There really is a mind-body connection. The simple act of smiling sends a message to your brain that you’re happy.
And when you’re happy, your body pumps out all kinds of feel-good endorphins. Do something to make yourself smile today.
Get HUGS!
Research shows that hugging is extremely effective at healing stress. It shows a deep hug, where two hearts are pressing together, can benefit you in these ways:
1. Holding a hug for an extended time lifts your serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating happiness.
2. Hugs teach us to let go and be present and in the moment.
3. Hugs can boost oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of stress and anxiety.
Dance
Dancing makes you feel GREAT. Do I need to say more? Whether you go out dancing or you put your favourite song on and dance along at home, you feel so much better. It makes you smile and feel happy!
Focus On What You Can Control
Many of us get this the wrong way around and we focus on what we can’t control and get stressed about it.
If we focus on what we can’t control we end up trapping ourselves but if we focus on the things that we can change it feels much better and things in our life start moving in the direction we want.
Go To Bed Earlier. Get More Sleep
We all know sleep makes us feel so much better and the more stressed we get, the more sleep we need. When we are stressed our cortisol level rise, this means our melatonin (sleep hormone) does not function optimally. When we are well rested we feel better.
You can find much more information on living a holistic lifestyle in these free magazines and on our YouTube channel.
Sharon White
If you would like to learn more and work with me one on one I would love to work with you. I am passionate about people having a voice, being heard and creating the change you want in your life.
You can contact me at sharon@globalhealingexchange.com to see how I can help you. Sharon is the founder of Global Healing Exchange. You can work with her on her Emotional Freedom Program here.
