Are you sitting back in your chair, wondering when it will all feel easier? Feeling nervous, frustrated, or overwhelmed? We know how it feels. And that’s why we’ve put together this post to show you how to make your life more peaceful and more balanced in 2022. These simple, practical steps can help you move in the right direction.
1. Take a pause, break the stress in half
Stress is all about your thinking, and the more you worry, the more pressure you’ll feel. This is easier said than done, right? If you’ve done a lot of inner work then you know, even when you’ve gotten really good at managing yourself mentally and emotionally, sometimes your body is still processing the symptoms of stress as though you’re in survival mode. That’s because we are programmed to be good at survival. We have a built in survival process called fight-or-flight mode. It acts as a gas pedal that gets pushed to give us a rush of adrenaline and deal with any acute threat that’s present. That served us well back in the day, when life was slower. When the stressor disappeared, we knew we were safe to return back to calm. In today’s busy world, we are all juggling so very much and there are so many demands for our time and attention. Anything that requires our time and attention requires our energy. So we are, in effect, always being triggered by stress and so we are chronic worriers. To break this pattern, learn this one easy neurohack to reset your brain and body back to calm. Check in when your breathing is tight and you’re feeling pressured. Pause. Take 6 deep breaths with a slower exhale to trigger your body’s natural ability to get back to calm. Six deep breaths triggers your parasympathetic nervous system and signals your brain to return back to its calmer state. Whenever you are feeling stressed, worried or anxious. Practice the Pause. And Breathe.
2. Be Thankful
Start your day off and practice being thankful for the little blessings and the big blessings in your life. It’s impossible to be stressed and grateful at the same time. As you focus on what you’re thankful for, really FEEL into it. Allow your body to vibrate with the feeling of gratitude. It’s entirely possible to feel grateful and peaceful at the same time. It’s entirely possible to feel grateful and joyful at the same time. As you do this, you are retraining the brain away from stress and back to calm. The more you do this, the more easily you will stay in the mindset of success.
Be generous with other people andcount your blessings – it’ll make your heart lighter and clear your head. After all, it’s not what happens to you that determines how happy you are, and it’s how you react to what happens to you. So take the time to look for the good and give thanks for the little things in life that can often be taken for granted.
3. Schedule in time for some pleasure!
Just because things aren’t going your way or your workload is too heavy, doesn’t mean you don’t need time to play. We all need time to recharge our batteries. A great way to do this is to distract yourself with something that sparks joy and laughter. It will break the cycle you’ve been in and allow you to hit the reset button. You’re never too old to play!
4. Re-prioritize – especially on the heavy days
The best way to fight stress and get stress relief is to lighten your load. You may not be able to do this all the time, but I assure you, many of the things we think need our urgent attention may be important but not necessary to complete today. When feeling particularly stressed, take some time to think about what you can reschedule. The more you do this, the more you realize, life becomes much more manageable if you can reset and shift the priorities so that you get some down time
5. Find a way to Release your Stress
Physical exercise is a great way to let out stress. It not only acts as an outlet for any pent up frustration, but it allows your body to release endorphins – these are released by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Endorphins area group of hormones that relieve pain, reduce stress and creates a general feeling of wellbeing. So while a boxing class will help get out any unwanted tension, you can also engage in gentler forms of exercise – running, walking, yoga or a nice long bike ride will do the trick to help your body ease its tension and give you the happy hormones you need.
There are so many tips on stress management, but these are certainly the most powerful I’ve seen. And the added bonus?? If you want to spark creativity – whether it’s in your personal life or your business, you need to be RELAXED and HAPPY. So schedule in time for a nap, time to relax and time to play. Your inner child will thank you and you will feel so much lighter!