At times, being human in the modern world just doesn’t feel so good.  Stress is caused by many different factors yet I believe they all trace back down to one; the mind, which is the sum of our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs.  Stress is a reaction to outside events; and our life is a result of our beliefs and our thoughts.
There are many techniques that I have found helpful in dealing with this type of modern day tension.

Many may feel that stress is the result of an external factor; such as noise pollution, relationship problems, challenges at work or money difficulties.  However, I propose that it is really just our response to these events that cause us to feel stress.  Life situations can always be seen from a higher perspective.  Not to say that I have been above experiencing stress or difficulties yet at times I get glimpses of being in the face of some challenge and really feeling okay about it; not stressed out.

Which makes me realize that it is not the event itself that is stressful; it is our attachment to the situation; our limited beliefs that keep us stuck in a situation; or an emotional addiction where we keep creating a scenario in order to get our fix.  We can always change our life circumstances if we do not like them, choose to look at it differently or choose to change in the face of some new insight.  I know this is often easier said than done, it may take all the courage and awareness you can muster up, it may take time and practice, or it may just happen in the blink of an eye.

For me stress usually arises when I don’t do what I feel prompted to do from my heart or my intuition.  When I follow someone else; when I do what someone else wants to do and not what I want to do.  It also happens when I am procrastinating, when I am not doing what I know I need to do.  The other time it comes up is when I start thinking limited thoughts about a situation.  Instead of focusing on what I do what, I focus on what I don’t want.  These are the times when I start to not feel so good, when stress creeps in.  I have learned that it only takes 68 seconds of focus on a new thought, on a new line of thinking or action, to turn yourself around and I have found this to be true.

Here are the 8 ways I have found most useful in lifting one’s self out of a slump or stress…

1).Write down your feelings and then reach for better feeling thoughts or turn the thought around.  The teachings of Abraham-Hicks have been very helpful to me in this regard.  They have a book out called Ask and It Is Given.  The second half of the book describes 22 processes that you can do, based on where you are right now, to feel better.  They put forth an emotional guidance scale and list the spectrum of 22 emotions from highest to lowest; stating that you can’t jump from depression to joy it is just too big of a leap.  Yet there are very simple steps you can take right now to move in that direction.  Another writing technique I have found helpful is “The Work” of Byron Katie (you can read about how to do it on her website at thework.com).  Here you can learn how to turn your thoughts around and see them from a different perspective.

2).Take a bath with Epsom salt and essential oils like lavender.  Soak by candle light and then scrub all the dead skin off your body with a raw silk glove.  This always makes me feel fresh, clean, lighter and happier.  Soak for about 20 minutes and then scrub off all the dead skin while still in the bath; finish with a quick shower and a cold rinse.  Moisturize the skin while still damp with olive or sesame oil.  Afterward, rest in bed wearing comfy clothes and pick up a really good book.

3).Practice yoga; it helps you center, ground and work out the tension in the body.  It will help you create a little space between you and your life.  If you have never practiced check out some of the instructional videos on You Tube or other yoga sites on the web, such as this one.  You could also get books or videos from your library, bookstore or check out a local class.  If you are new just do 5-20 minutes at a time.  Even this much can be very helpful.  If you are familiar with the yoga postures and already have a home practice, do an hour or more when you can make time for it.

4).Sit and meditate; ask for guidance and listen.  Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit; supported and warm.  Close the eyes (you can wear an eye mask and ear plugs if you’d like), make any needed adjustments.  Sit with the spine erect, yet not rigid.  Focus on the breath; feel it moving through the body; let it relax you and calm you.  Then ask a question; often for me it is just “what do I need to know right now?”  “How can I resolve this situation?”  “What is needed in this situation?”  Or “how can I look at this differently?”  Then listen as if you were talking to someone on the phone and you were waiting for their response.  Expect to hear an answer.  If the answer feels like it is coming from a little quiet voice inside; if it feels expansive; if it feels like it is coming from a place of love, you know you can trust what you hear.  And know that love does not always look like what we think it is going to look like; love is the truth; does your answer feel like the truth, your truth?

5).Dance around the house, go for a walk or do any other form of exercise you enjoy.  If you like to dance put on some great music and just move however you feel like moving; it doesn’t have to be pretty, just release tension.  Stomp and sigh if you feel like it, jump and run or just roll around on the floor.  If walking outside take some deep breaths and look at what is around you.  You can ask for guidance while walking just like in sitting meditation.  Start a conversation with your Higher Self and see where it leads you.  If exercising, don’t think about the situation that is causing you stress; create some space around it and when you feel ready ask for guidance and listen.

6).Listen and feel for what you feel prompted to do in the moment, it can be the most simple of things, do not judge what you hear.  “Should I do ____ or ____ right now?”  It may be organizing or cleaning something; calling a friend; drinking water; burning some candles or essential oils; getting some work done or taking some time off.

7).If you have been procrastinating and feel stress as a result, just start by doing one thing.  Don’t think about all of the things you must do; make a list if that helps you.  Just focus on one thing and do that.  When that is complete or you have worked on it the amount of time you have allotted for it, then move onto the next thing.  This is one of the best cures for the feeling of being overwhelmed.

8).Stop thinking.  What we focus on expands, therefore at times the only cure for negative thoughts is to just cut them off; stop the downward thought process.  I find that getting into a bad space or stressed out about something is usually the result of a single thought; a limited, toxic thought given freedom to roam through the vast space of mind, left unchecked becomes a tyrant that takes over; it gathers momentum (other similar thoughts) and before you know it this harmless looking snowball can turn into an avalanche.  Sometimes it is helpful to trace the thoughts back to see what the culprit was and other times it is best to just cut it off.  In order to do this you must take up some activity that you can get involved in thoroughly; usually something creative or physical is best; like making music, painting, yoga, making a wonderful meal or any other activity that you enjoy; where time stops and you become completely immersed in whatever you are doing.

I believe that most, if not all, of our problems begin in the mind, including stress; which as I said before is a reaction to external events.  We can not always change the outside yet we can change what is on the inside and by doing so the outer will naturally shift as a result; quantum physics proves this, it is called the observer effect.  We can choose to look at things differently and how we see them influences them.

If we are in a bad head space we are more likely to fall ill, have an accident or some other unwanted thing happen.  If we are in a high space and have elevated thoughts, bumps in the road just roll right off our back.  It creates a buffer or a shield around us that is like a protection.   When we are in a good head space we are in alignment with our Higher Self and what we desire to experience.  From that place what we want comes to us quickly and easily.

Again it only takes 68 seconds of focus on a new thought, on a new line of thinking or action, to turn yourself around.  Yet don’t take my word for it, or anyone else’s, try it for yourself and find out if it is true for you the next time you find yourself in a slump, stressed out or heading for a mental avalanche.