Needless to say any time away from everything in quietness and solidarity will be helpful to any one; especially one who has an extremely busy schedule.
Welcome to Helpful Relaxation Techniques
Have you begun working on eliminating some of the stresses from your life? Are you taking action, changing your perception or accepting the circumstances you can't yet change? If so, you should be feeling more in control of your circumstances, and that's a good thing!
Today I'll be sharing some simple strategies to help you manage stress, and even stop it before it gets started. You may have experience with some of these already, but I'll explain why they're so helpful. Meditation. Since a lot of stress stems from your own scattered thoughts and errant emotions, meditation is a great way to quiet your mind and improve your focus. And the benefits last long after you've stopped meditating too!
Just a few minutes of meditation in the morning can help you feel calmer and more focused all day long.
NOTE: The Totally Tranquil program is designed to produce an alpha-level meditation. That's similar to relaxing in front of the television (yet, much more mentally healthy for you). For a deeper level of meditation, try this Deep Zen program - This program takes you into a low-theta brain state - that's just above sleep, where you're still conscious, yet deeply relaxed.
Visualization.
Visualization is like taking a vacation in your mind. In fact, you can do just that when you're feeling stressed! The next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, find a quiet place to be alone for a few minutes, close your eyes, and imagine that you're lying on a tropical beach. Feel the sand beneath your body, the sun warming your skin, the kiss of the breeze moving through your hair. Breathe deeply and welcome the sensation of total relaxation flowing through your body. Just a few minutes of this can trigger your body's relaxation response because your mind cannot tell the difference between something real and imagined!
Exercise.
You've heard it before but the benefits cannot be ignored! Exercise gets those feel-good endorphins flowing, which will continue to benefit you long after you're done exercising. Not only that, but you'll feel stronger physically, more balanced emotionally, and more alert mentally - which can help you cope better with stress. Deep breathing. Most of us are "shallow breathers," using only a portion of our lung capacity. As a result, we feel sluggish, foggy-headed and tired. Get into the habit of breathing deeply and fully several times a day. Doing so floods your body with oxygen; wakes you up AND calms you down. You'll feel alert, energized and balanced,which can help you focus better on whatever you need to get done.
Massage.
This is one of those "luxuries" that should be a necessity for anyone who feels stressed! True, massages aren't exactly cheap,but even if you can only afford a monthly massage, it's well worth the money because just 20-30 minutes of massage can wipe away months of stress.
Recreation/Fun.
Don't underestimate the power of fun and recreation to get rid of(and prevent) stress. If you have kids run around with them sometimes; you'll see the relief and joy you get just by doing so. Be sure to make a regular habit of spending time with friends and doing things you love. Read good books,watch good movies, dance, listen to good music, etc.All of these things are great ways to manage your stress, but even better, if you do them on a regular basis, you'll find that you don't get as stressed as you once did.
Be sure to tune in for the next blog installment, because I'll share another powerful technique for managing stress - right while you're in the heat of the moment!
Until then Clear your mind,
Due Daniels
