Dealing with Stress
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
No matter how much we try to lead a harmonious life, we will experience stress. We do not live in a vacuum and life was never meant to be perfect. When you feel on edge, try to adopt an attitude of acceptance. Denying that you are feeling stressful or trying to suppress it, will only cause more stress.
Next time you feel stressful, try to sit quietly and notice what you are feeling. Accept the experience and the anxiety. Where do you feel the tension? Is it in a particular part of your body? Where do you feel the anxiety? What made you irritated? Do you feel tension in your shoulder? Is your breathing shallow and fast? Try not to suppress the feelings, say yes to them. Let them progress naturally. Take some deep breaths and continue exploring what you are feeling until they are gone or reduced.
Next time you feel stressful try the following:
1. Sit quietly and take a few deep breaths.
2. Try to accept the experience. Ask yourself the questions listed above.
3. Continue to explore the tension in your body.
4. Continue to take deep breaths.
5. When you feel the anxiety has diminished begin to think of the most beautiful and peaceful scenes you have ever experienced. For example: a mountain stream flowing over rocks and boulders, a beautiful sunset on the ocean, the pristine silence and beauty after snowfall, a full moon, or morning fog in a forest. Spend a few moments taking a few deep breaths and letting that imagine stay in your mind.
6. What word describes the image: peaceful, serene, and magnificent? Repeat the word out loud several times.
What was the beautiful scene you imagined?