In this life, it is far too easy to build up stress. Stress can come from family, stress from projects or co-workers at work, stress can even come from being out of work. In Western culture, there are stress factors that do more harming to our spirits than helping through Colonization. There are all types of situations that can add to our own personal struggles and worries. It’s not easy for some to just say, ‘Stop stressing!’
Stress can manifest itself in a number of different ways as well. For example, someone who deals with Depression and/or Anxiety may have or had direct stress factors that can weigh on them mentally. Physically, stress can literally weigh on us. Weight gain or loss can be a result of stress. Eating disorders, high blood pressure, infertility and pregnancy complications, hair loss, muscle tension or pain and headaches are all possible ways that stress can affect our everyday lives.
It is very important to not only look at the source (s) of your stress, but also how to reduce the stress factors that you can control to the best of your ability.
Realistically, no one will find inner peace immediately. This life is a journey that takes time, positive daily intention and support as well as patience and being gentle with yourself. These habits are apart of a lifestyle that we must practice DAILY.
1. Make a list of things you CAN control and focus on that.
We make ourselves worry SO MUCH by focusing on things that we have NO control over.
Why worry about things that we cannot control, thus making ourselves feel inadequate and adding more stress to ourselves?
Take time to make a list of the things in your life that you CAN control and start focusing on those. The more you pivot your attention towards the controllable, the less you are distract by those what you can’t control
2. Practice gratefulness.
Everyday when you wake up, before you grab your phone, laptop, iPad or any other device, speak gratefulness out of your mouth, even if it’s under your breath.
We often times are so caught up in trying to get the next thing that we forget to be grateful for what we already have.
Take a look around and start naming things that you grateful for. Start from your health (on any and all levels), move to your support system (even if it’s not your immediate family) work your way to anything else that comes to mind.
Continue to do this while you get ready for your day. Want to increase your thankfulness? Do it throughout the day and before you go to bed!
3. Use positive words of affirmation.
We are not as gentle or forgiving with ourselves as we should be. We can be cruel in our words, calling ourselves, ‘stupid,’ or, ‘idiot,’ for simple human mistakes.
Take the time to be nice to yourself. Speak life into yourself and others every single day for the rest of you life.
Look in a mirror, or don’t and tell yourself how smart you are, how beautiful you are (gender neutral), how kind or talented you are. Use the, ‘I am…’ format when doing so.
Write them down and speak them to yourself everyday. Post positive notes around your home or on your devices to remind yourself that you are enough.
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It is important to practice being gentle with yourself and accepting that some things in life, you will not be able to control entirely or at all. Stress is bad for the body and the mind. Begin the process of lessening it as much as you can by following these daily practices.
Your health both mentally and physically is more important than what society deems is important.
Remember, it takes 21 days to build a habit!