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Breaking Stress Down With Mindfulness

An Overview 

You turn your head to the right and you see all your pending assignments that need to be done. You turn to your left and you see the research paper that needs to be reviewed. You look at your phone and your friends have been calling you for a movie night.

In your head, you are aware of the ten other things that need to be completed. You become frustrated. You want to burst, you want to run away, you want to crumble. That’s what stress can do to you. 

We all have an understanding of how stress appears in our daily lives and what we wish to alter. Many people will claim they’re searching for relaxation from their anxieties, while others may note their stiff neck or tight jaw, as well as their headaches.

Stress affects both our thoughts and bodies, regardless of how we personally feel it. It’s a hyper-arousal state in which our thoughts and bodies are on high alert, our adrenaline is pumping, and we feel compelled to safeguard ourselves. So how does one deal with it? 

The answer to that question is to practice mindfulness. To have a basic understanding, Mindfulness is a type of mind-body training that uses a series of approaches and strategies to help you live in the present moment.

The various techniques will train you how to control your emotions and ideas, which can come in handy when you’re anxious. Mindfulness may be practiced through meditation, yoga, and breathing techniques.

The way you think and feel has an impact on your physical and mental health. As a result, becoming more aware of them and tuning into them might help you better handle and cope with circumstances.

How does mindfulness help with stress? 

You might wonder how being mindful, especially with other aspects of life, helps you deal with the stress you feel. Well, it is important to understand what happens when you practice mindfulness. In general, mindfulness helps you reconnect with your present self and ground you in your current surroundings.

It helps you build inner strength gradually. You will be able to focus more on the present than let your mind wander to the past or future. Thus, better control over yourself. With that, you will be able to focus on the task at hand and be more effective overall. Here are some other ways that being mindful helps with stress. 

  • Mindfulness activates your “being” state of thought, which is linked to calmness. Your “doing” style of thought is linked to action and the stress reaction.
  • You are much more aware of and sensitive to your body’s demands. You may become aware of difficulties early and be able to take necessary action.
  • You become much more conscious of your own ideas. You may then take a step back and not take things too literally. As a result, your stress reaction is not triggered in the first place.
  • You do not react to a problem right away. Instead, you have a moment to stop before applying your “smart mind” to find the optimal answer. Through attentive activities, mindfulness can assist you in doing this.
  • Your concern and empathy for yourself and others grow. You are less likely to get into a fight as your emotional intelligence grows. This compassionate mentality calms you down and reduces your stress reaction.
  • You can concentrate better now. As a result, you accomplish your task more effectively, have a higher sense of well-being, and your stress reaction is reduced. You are more likely to enter a zone or flow of concentration.
  • You can change your attitude toward stress. Rather than focusing solely on the negative repercussions of stress, mindfulness allows you to reconsider the tension itself. Viewing how the build-up makes you feel more energized has a beneficial effect on the body and mind.

How to practice mindfulness? 

When it comes to altering the way you think, it can be tough to know where to begin. Doesn’t it look like a lot of work? It shouldn’t have to be that way. The trick is to do things one step at a time to avoid being frustrated.

We may, however, take the time to slow down if we make a concerted effort. We may find greater pleasure, joy, and purpose in our lives by practicing mindful living. Being attentive, on the other hand, is not as simple as it seems. It is a routine that you must cultivate. Here are some ways that you could practice mindfulness:

  • Take some time for yourself in the morning

Early morning is an excellent time to practice mindful morning. The day is just getting started, it’s lovely and peaceful, and you could get a few minutes to yourself. Try to relax for a few minutes instead of jumping out of bed and hurrying through your daily ritual. You could think about being appreciative of the day and simply being in the moment. You could just simply sit on the sofa and focus on regulated breathing, or try meditation. Try to find peace within you. 

  • Be mindful with your activities

Pick an action during the day that you will do mindfully, that is, with total awareness. Driving, showering, cooking, eating, exercising, or strolling are examples of activities that are best done automatically. Here’s a good example of how to eat thoughtfully. Practice mindful eating throughout your lunch break. Do not hurry through your lunch in order to return to your work. Instead, take your time and enjoy your meal.

Concentrate on the texture of your food, the work that went into creating it, and the flavors on your tongue. Consider how eating your meal makes you feel. This will allow you to be present at the moment. 

  • Include meditation in your routine 

Meditation is, in some ways, the art of awareness. You are taking the opportunity to connect with your thoughts while you meditate. It takes some effort to learn regulated breathing and to block out all distractions, but it may be extremely useful in so many ways.

It is not just a moment for awareness, but it may also be an aid for relaxation and stress reduction. If you are not sure how to start meditating, you could look into our app that could help with guided meditation. Along with that, you could broaden your knowledge and understanding of meditation by exploring it through our app. 

  • Engage yourself in physical activities 

It is easier to be aware when we are doing something we like that takes our whole concentration, both body and mind. Swimming, football, basketball, and cycling are a few examples. If you lose your focus while participating in these sports, you may miss a goal or even forget the stroke you were swimming. 

Finding an activity that you like allows you to spend time totally engaged, which teaches you how to take that awareness into other aspects of your life. Not only does it improve your awareness of the activity but also makes you physically and mentally fit as well. 

  • Reconnect with your senses

Touch, smell, taste, sound, and sight are your portals into the current moment. However, when you are lost in contemplation, you are not aware of what your senses are taking up. Take a moment to enjoy the lovely scent of your coffee. The salty sea breeze. The variety and beauty of flowers in your neighborhood. The enticing aroma of wood-fired pizza wafting from your neighborhood Italian eatery as you pass by.

Take note of how your clothes feel on your skin. In the morning, the smooth clean bed sheets on your skin. The grass beneath your feet. The feeling of water and suds on your hands when doing the dishes. Invest love and care into your daily chores, and you’ll be surprised at how much pleasure and serenity they may offer you.

Trying to make small efforts to modify your thinking while practicing various mindfulness activities may have a great influence on how you feel and act in stressful situations in both your work and personal life. Meditation and mindfulness practice will not make life’s problems and disappointments go away, but they will enable you to handle them better and recover with greater grace, serenity, and even amusement.

Understanding the stress process and how it manifests itself in your own life can assist you in determining where you can increase your resources – and where you can learn to let go with peaceful acceptance. 

As there are various ways one can include mindfulness in their routine, explore all your options. Have an in-depth understanding of yourself. See which strategy suits you best. Ultimately, if you want to take control of your stress and overall well-being, then you must approach mindfulness wholeheartedly.

As mentioned earlier, starting off could be a little difficult. However, it’s not something to worry about because there are plenty of guides available. Including our app, you must definitely check it out! Focus on yourself and your well-being and everything will fall into place.

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