โHow about we remind ourselves each day to live a lot, stress less and be fearless in pursuit of what sets our soul on fire.โ
Stress and how it affects us...
Not all stress is bad stress, we can use a little bit of stress, because it keeps us going, it gives energy and helps us get from a to b.ย
The sympathetic nervous system is in charge of your fight or flight, it would help us assess situations and it lets us know when we should run (from the car that is about to hit us) from the dangers lurking around the corner, you only need to study the animal kingdom to realise this.
The parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite, it helps us to rest and replenish, to rest and digest.
The problem with our lifestyle these days, is that there is an overwhelming amount of stress around us, you only need to look at the news to feel completely paralysed by what is going on in the world. And letโs not forget to mention that the body does not differentiate between a lion lurking and an email from your boss.
We want to catch stress before it gets bad, before it becomes chronic.
What helps you to relax?
Here are some of my bullet points that help me relax;
explore nature
hang out with good friends
breathing
hot bath
do a class, I find moving, the fastest way to get my body into a calm place, any movement will do, my favourites are yoga and contemporary dance, but I also go for meditation sessions with my teacher
music
build your self esteem, think about the things you do well in lifeย
help someone else
learn to meditate
List your to-doโs before taking a relaxing practice and revisit them the next day, they are often not as bad as we think and it helps us to prioritise.
The easiest way to relax is to....
B R E A T H Eย
Breathing is the fastest way to help soothe your nervous system.
Are you breathing in your belly?
Let your belly expand as you inhale and let it deflate slowly as you exhale.
Place your hands on your belly and feel the breath in your abdomen.
C O U N T I N G B R E A T H
Inhale for 2 or 4 counts
Exhale for 2 or 4 counts
for a few rounds...
Then
Inhale for 2 or 4 counts
Exhale for 4 or 8 counts
for several rounds until you feel relaxed, then let go of all breathing and let your body become absorbed into your relaxation.ย
Please note, if at any point your breath feels strained stop immediately and find a natural soothing rhythm.