How to Better Manage Stress
In the midst of a hectic schedule, have you ever stopped and said that there aren’t enough hours in a day? We’ve all been there. We meticulously plan for how we would like our days to carry out, convince ourselves that we will finally feel content once we’ve accomplished the day’s activities, and then, somehow, it all just crumbles apart as the minutes quickly slip away. These are the days where we have set out to do a certain number of tasks, but then a million unexpected, little things pop up. It’s the days where nothing seems to be going our way and everyone around is too busy with their own lives to even care. It leaves us wishing for more time in order to get what we had originally planned accomplished, and it leaves us feeling overwhelmed. These kinds of situations can become increasingly stressful, unmanageable, and, ultimately, detrimental to our health when not handled properly. However, the beauty, or perhaps silver lining, in this kind of stress is that nothing ever stays the same. Stress is temporary. Pain is temporary. And, if we can learn to use the right techniques and exercises to make life more manageable, we can begin to live happier and healthier lives.
One exercise we highly recommend during times of trouble is the ancient practice of meditation. Put a pause button on life for a few minutes, and learn to reconnect with your inner being. Find a quiet area, turn on some calming music, and practice the art of deep breathing. You’ll be absolutely amazed by how effective meditating can really be, and you’ll be feeling more at peace with your emotional state and current surroundings.
Speaking of your surroundings, during stressful and difficult times, it is so important to surround yourself with positive people. Although you may not realize this, the people you are constantly around are a reflection of you. Their energies, positive or negative, are contagious and, regardless of whether you like it or not, it is having a major effect on your life. No matter how difficult this may be, it’s important to rid your life of negative people. By doing so, you are also eliminating the toxicity in the energies that embody you. You are choosing to lead a simpler, less stressful life. As soon as you begin to let go of the things that weigh you down, you will start to rise above it all.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that life’s problems and dilemmas, whether they may be big or small, will always be beyond our control. We are constantly putting this pressure on ourselves to lead the perfect lives where stress doesn’t exist. We tell ourselves that once we achieve this state of mind, we can finally allow ourselves to be truly happy. But, here’s the thing. Stress is inevitable, and sometimes life is going to be beyond our control. The trick is, however, to learn that what you can control is your happiness and how you are going to achieve it. So, the question is, are you willing to give it a shot?
