Imagine a life with no stress.
It may sound wonderful, but stress is actually a necessary part of human development. With the challenges of healthy stress, we grow, push our boundaries and find our talents.
At the other end of the scale, unhealthy stress is disruptive for the mental, physical and emotional body and can affect any and many areas of life. When one area of life is filled with worry, it filters into other parts causing a domino effect. This is why it is crucial to stabilise repetitive or traumatic stress as soon as you notice it.
Befriend your stress patterns
There is an old adage, ‘What you resist will persist’. Research from human behaviour reports show time and again that the pattern of stress in an individual’s life is, in most cases, predictable (unless where sudden traumas occur).
How can one change the repetition of stress?
1. 60-second challenge
When a situation occurs which challenges you, stop what you are doing for one minute. Use these sixty seconds to breathe deeply and give space between you and the situation as well as your reaction.
2. Surrender
Resisting a feeling, thought, event or even craving will only intensify it. Surrender does not mean you are condoning what is happening, it means that you are aware that you cannot change the past and you open the opportunity to make a conscious choice in the present moment.
3. Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the quickest paths to changing the chemistry in your brain and revitalising your cells and nervous system. In every situation, no matter how negative, there are positive attributes, aka benefits. Write down five benefits of your most recent stressful situation.
Release sudden stress
When you find yourself in a sudden stressful situation, it is helpful to know a few easy-to-use techniques that work quickly in calming the nervous system. These can be used in conjunction with the 60-second challenge above.
Calm the body
Inhale slowly and deeply for three counts, exhale slowly and deeply for four counts, hold for five counts.
Repeat for two minutes or until you feel muscles in the body relax and heart rate stabilises.
Calm the mind
Rub the sternum with four fingers, up and down, vigorously. The point is to rub just above where the two rib cages meet. Repeat for two minutes or until you feel the mind relax.
Calm the emotions
Hold your forehead with one hand and the base of your skull with the other hand. Breathe deeply – the increased blood and oxygen stimulates the prefrontal cortex and brings balance to the conscious and subconscious brains.
