7 Simple Ways to De-Stress
Meditation/Relaxation:
Meditation is an amazing way to alleviate stress from our lives. There are many ways to meditate. I highly recommend if you haven’t meditated before, to join a meditation group with a facilitator to guide you. My dear friend Daniele Graham of Inspired Pathways (www.inspiredpathways.com.au) runs fortnightly meditation on a Saturday in Glenelg. Also if you are further South my other dear friend Rosalind Sansbury of www.nurturinghumanity.com.au also runs meditation groups and the lovely Sue Shaw of www.sharasanctuary.com.au runs them weekly on a Wednesday in Trott Park.
You can also go on YouTube and listen to a guided meditation, there are millions on there. I also like to listen to Binaural Beats, which are sound frequencies that relax your mind. Check out this stress busting Binaural Beat: De-Stress with this.
Another great way to meditate is to focus on your breath….every time your mind wanders, just bring it back to your breath. You can also say a mantra over and over such as peace or love. Again every time your mind wanders…..and it will 🙂 Just bring it back to your mantra.
Remember that our minds are wired to think lots of different things….so don’t stress or worry when trying to mediate. Once you start meditating on a regular basis, you will notice how life flows better.
Tip:
Just try one of the above meditations for just 10 minutes a day.
Walking/Exercise
I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea…but exercise is an amazing way to de-stress. We release the feel good hormone when we exercise. Although it may take a while for this hormone to kick in…let me tell you it does and when it does it feels so good. I like to run, it really makes me feel good and clears my mind. I’ve had some amazing insights come to me on a run.
But when we are feeling stressed, just getting out in the fresh air and having a nice relaxing walk can do you the wonders of good, especially if it’s in nature, such as the beach or park.
Tip:
When you are feeling stressed….commit to taking a walk even for five minutes and on this walk think about 3 things that you feel lucky for.
Journalling
Sometimes when we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with life, our minds feel full of fear and worries. Our worries can seem so big and hard to deal with. I highly recommend writing down what’s in our minds….it can really help to see them on paper. When our worries are down on paper, they can seem a lot easier to deal with and we can realise that it’s not so bad. We can then start working on each thing one by one. Studies have found that writing about stressful events improves both physical and psychological health.
Tip:
Get yourself a beautiful note pad especially for journalling and start writing down your thoughts and feelings, see if you can commit to this for one month. You’ll soon get excited about writing in your journal 🙂
I’ve got journals going back to my early 20’s…..it’s fabulous to look back and see how far I’ve come. Might write a book one day he he.
Being Present
This is quite a tricky thing to do as we are either thinking about the future (things to do or worrying about what hasn’t happened yet) or looking back at our past! We are rarely in the present moment. When we really focus on our present moment using all of our senses, it brings us back to centre and is very peaceful and calming. Even if you are just washing dishes; try and just focus on this one task….the feel of the water and bubbles, the heat, the smells, the look etc.
I recently went for a beach walk with my little one and committed to being present during this walk….well I was so surprised at how much my mind wondered off. I had to keep bringing it back to what I was doing. I focused on my feet touching the ground, the beauty around me, the fresh sea air, my breathing. I really enjoyed this walk and had so much clarity afterwards. I believe the more we do this, we can train our minds to be like this all the time – how wonderful!
Tip:
Pick one mundane task everyday and be completely present using all of your senses. Notice how much calmer you feel and you may even actually enjoy what you are doing.
Gratitude
This is a big one as when we are stressed we see the world as a bad place and find it difficult to be grateful for anything. If you are feeling this way…I suggest to just focus on the basic things you are grateful for, such as “I have eyes that help me see”, “I have a bed that I can sleep on every night”, “I have legs that help me walk”. Simple appreciation like this can really lift your vibration and pull you out of your stress.
I also recommend to my clients to start either writing or thinking of 3 things that day that they are grateful for. It’s a great process to do before bed and helps you focus on what you are grateful for instead of what you are stressed about. I find it also helps me sleep better!
Tip:
Before you go to bed, think of 3 things from that day that you are grateful for and maybe even write it in our journal.
Helping others
Helping others has been proven to be one of the secrets too happiness…When you help another person, even if it’s as simple as helping carry an older person’s shopping, it really lifts your vibration.
I recently went for a nature walk with my little one and I saw an older gentleman picking a certain flower…I was intrigued and asked him what he was picking and why. He was delighted to share that he was picking dandelion for his canaries. He said his canaries love dandelion and are so excited when he gets back. He thanked me for asking. This simple interaction with this gentleman lifted both my vibration and his.
Even just smiling at everyone you meet is a beautiful thing to do and makes you feel good – give it a try.
Tip:
Go out of your way to do something nice for someone…even if it’s just a smile 🙂
Nurture Yourself
This is a big one that we forget to do or don’t think we deserve…..but this is one of the most important things we can do for our sanity. It’s imperative that we give ourselves some self care, be it with a massage, a bath with candles or a day at a spa. Self nurturing is NOT selfish and I know for a fact (being a mum) that I’m able to give so much more to the ones I love when I give myself what I need.
I’m also a big believer in asking for help when life isn’t going very well. I myself have had many challenges in my life and some recently…I’ve had to reach out to friends and also other practitioners to assist me. This is not a weakness, this take courage!
If you are in need of some direction, try a coaching session with me (www.freedom-therapy.com.au) and start living your best life. I have some amazing stress busting techniques that I love teaching my clients. I’m offering sessions for just $50 to new clients.
Tip:
Get that massage or healing or coaching session you have been putting off and notice how good it feels to self nurture.
www.freedom-therapy.com.au
www.facebook.com/freedomtherapyadelaide
0449704779
