Everyone feels stress to some degree. There is mild and “encouraging” stress that makes us perform better, but if you can’t completely relax from the stress of the day and return to a calm inner state, you probably have too much stress. A momentary overload is not dangerous, but if that state continues, we will inevitably start to experience problems.
Take a moment to think about which factors cause you the most stress. Too little sleep? Poor physical condition or overweight (which is also associated with poor nutrition), a long commute or a bad atmosphere at the workplace? Do you generally work too much or are you constantly in a hurry? Are you going through a divorce process or are you worrying too much about your family’s – forgetting about yourself? Stress is known to affect many things, so it is worth trying to reduce the number of its causes. We can’t always influence everything, but we can still take steps in a better direction. Below are tips on how you can become aware of and free yourself from the most significant causes of stress.
Negativity prevents recovery
Negativity towards things and events in life makes us feel bad about ourselves and focus on negative things and news. If you have people in your life who make you anxious or drain your energy, you can decide to do only the necessary things with them. Stop following the news more than necessary. You will definitely survive even if you don’t read the news three times a day. Most of the news is filled with negativity because it sells and gets people’s attention. However, you can choose to focus only on good things in the future – for your own health.
You get stuck in routines and old habits
It is easy to always act the same way, even if that way is not the best. Many get caught up in past experiences and identify with them. ”My life is like this because I’m depressed/lonely/experienced loss/sad/anxious, etc., but those things will remain unless if you’re willing to move on and let those things go. Experience the emotions caused by the past once fully and decide that you will not return to them after that. Complaining or worrying can never bring you a better tomorrow. The past is over, you can safely move on.
Feelings on the body
Our body and mind are always connected. Because of this, neglecting the body or focusing too much on it always also brings with it psychological difficulties such as stress. If you tend to think from the first feeling of discomfort that it is a serious illness – stop. The problem is that what we think and feel usually comes true. Do you believe you are constantly in sick? Do you interpret too little sleep, i.e. fatigue or disappointment, as depression? Are you caught up in a physical challenge and only see yourself through it (such as an eating disorder, injury, or something external)? Try to see your body as a valuable thing that allows you to experience this world and focus less on sensations that you would normally draw conclusions from. Your body naturally strives for well-being if you only give it a chance.
You’re trying to manage time
Time is an illusion and there is always only the eternal now-moment. You are wasting your time if you do any of the following:
- You regret old mistakes over and over again
- You are fearful of the future
- You resist change
- You live in yesterday or the past
- Do you live in tomorrow or think “after when i…”
- You are trying to race against or control time
We can only be happy now. The present moment is peaceful and satisfying. It doesn’t try to look elsewhere or be something else. Most of us are always thinking about either the past or the future. It can be for example, just thinking about when the working day ends or what I will do after it. But happiness and peace can only be in the moment: when you get off work and do what you had planned, you start thinking about the new future moment again. To experience the present moment, you must stop and surrender. The present can never be in the future. The present moment cannot be compared to anything, because it has no opposite. There is always just another present moment. The secret is that you don’t get caught up in a single moment or event, but you become part of the flow in which you already are.
Have you noticed that when you stress, you usually don’t stress about the moment you are in, but about what is coming?
