Freedom From Stress & Overwhelm

Two of the things we simply cannot escape from in life are change and stress, as they are an inevitable part of life. With change, we can often feel overwhelmed, anxious and unbalanced. Under stress we have a tendency to focus on the worst case scenario in the situation, which can jolt us into a negative spiral. The good news is that there are many practical things that can be done to release this anxiety and stress. Studies have shown that 80-90% of medical complaints and illnesses are stress related. So, we need to be proactive to take care of ourselves for our mental and physical well-being.

Here are some practical tips to bring balance and harmony to your life:

1. Breathe – What you may not know; is that when we experience stress, we tend breathe more shallow without conscious awareness. Andrew Weil, MD, writes that one of the most powerful things we can do to release stress is to practice conscious breathing. Simply taking a few deep conscious slow breaths (from your belly) throughout the day can calm down your nervous system.

2. Take Breaks Throughout the Day- in order to give our bodies and minds a break from this accumulated stress, it is important to take a few minute breaks throughout the day. People often complain that they don’t have time to take a break. For the very busy person, short limited breaks can be very helpful in breaking the stress/overwhelm cycle. Breaks might include: meditating, lunch with your phone turned off, taking a 10 minute walk, a mini nap

3. Meditate- Meditation is the practice of quieting the restless mind and also provides benefits to give you clarity and calm. There have been numerous studies conducted on the benefits of meditation. A study was done at the University of Pennsylvania with Buddhist meditators and nuns doing centering prayer. During the focused calm states, the EEG showed increased activity in the left prefrontal area of the brain called the neo-cortex. Studies on happy people also show increasesd activity in the left part of the brain. Meditation is one way to increase this calming joyful state of being. Begin by sitting in a chair and sitting upright on the floor. Close your eyes and focus on your in and out breath; or you can focus on words such as, peace, calm or joy. Some people like to focus on a phrase, such as “let go, let god”. When distracting thoughts come up (and they will) gently go back to your breath or your words. With practice, you will begin to experience calm and increased inner peace.

4. Take Action- When you feel stuck in a difficult situation, write down the problem and write small action steps you can do to begin to resolve this. Having a written plan can give you lots of relief; instead of ruminating about in your mind.

5. Get Support- Support of friends and family is necessary to reduce overwhelming feelings of isolation when you feel stuck in the problem.
Support provides validation for your feelings; and that in itself can be extremely powerful. Feedback from others also can assist you to have a more neutral perspective of the obstacle you are facing.

6. Exercise- Duke University conducted a study with 156 depressed patients, divided into three groups for a period of 4 months. The lst group was put on an exercise program. The 2nd group had medication only. The 3rd group had exercise and medication. After a four month period, all groups showed 30% improvement with their symptoms of depression. In a 10 month follow-up, the group on medication had a 38% relapse. The group with medication and exercise had 31% relapse. But the group with just exercise, had only a 9% relapse rate. These are remarkable results. Exercise truly raises your well-being and we need movement to help release the neurotransmitters (the feel good chemicals) to create these results.

7. Practice Gratitude - There is a large body of research showing “that people who cultivate positive emotion generally deal much better with adversity”.
Looking for small simple things to be grateful for during the day can free you from negativity and stress. It can be as simple as appreciating the beautiful trees around you, people’s smiles, great service or something about your children. Gratitude is about seeking out what is good; registering the positive and really feeling it. Let the simple things soak in and notice how different you feel.