De-Stress Tips (Remember to breathe 3:6)
De-stress With A Senses Walk
When your head is churning with what has been, what might be or all those things to do, go for a Senses Walk, ideally in fresh air and sunlight. You’ll come back calmer, thinking more clearly, and be so much more productive.
The key to de-stressing is to get out of your head and be fully present in the Present, where you are safe. As you walk, choose a sense (sight, sound, hearing, touch, or if having lunch, taste) to focus on for 5-10 minutes, then choose another for the next 10 minutes and so on. For example, if you choose Touch, notice how your clothes feel on your skin, the warmth of the sun, the breeze on your face, how your hair moves, the ground beneath your shoes, the touch of your feet in your shoes, the temperature and texture of the plants as you pass, and so on. What we focus on is what we get, so changing your focus changes your results. Focus on what you do want in life, rather than what you don’t, and notice the difference!
During The Day:
Take care of your body with regular breaks including stretches, lots of water, healthy food choices, some fresh air and exercise. Be your own best coach – encourage instead of criticising, acknowledge your progress, ask for help or clarification when needed. If personal issues intrude, allocate time in your diary to work through them, tell yourself ‘I will think about that at X p.m.’, and ensure you do so. Be trustworthy.
If you catch yourself telling yourself scary stories about What-If, ask yourself instead “What if it doesn’t happen like that? How will that feel?”
If you find yourself feeling hurt and asking, “How can she do that? I wouldn’t!” The only answer you need is “Because she is not me.” Remember everyone has their own reality, based on their own past experiences, values and beliefs.
If you feel tension, or pain, in your body you are out in the Future or back in the Past. Remind yourself that they aren’t real, only the Present is, and right here, right now, you are safe.
At the End Of Your Working Day:
Just before shutting down your PC, plan out your next day, transferring any unfinished tasks across. Prioritise the top 3, and allocate specific time slots to complete them. Be realistic about what you can achieve, and either delegate or put excess task on another day. Tidy your desk so the next day you get a sense of being in control when you come in.
At the End of Your Day:
Spend the last half hour before bed unwinding, whether listening to relaxing music, cuddling with your partner, pottering around etc. Avoid stimulation like TV, reading, caffeine, alcohol. If you need to, dump down all the worries of the day into at least 3 pages of continuous writing, rip it up with great satisfaction, then do your unwinding bedtime routine.
As you get into bed, set your intention for the next day e.g. productive, signing up a new client at the end of the meeting etc, and ask for all flashes of inspiration to assist in this to come after your alarm goes off (NOT ‘when I wake up’ )
If You Wake During The Night:
Note any flashes of inspiration on a notebook by your bed and tell yourself you will work on that (never ‘worry about that’ ) during business hours. Focus on relaxing breathing, in for a count of 3 (or 4) and out for count of 6 (or 8). If your mind wanders, bring it gently back to focussing on your breathing until you sleep again. If you keep having lots of churning thoughts, get out of bed and write them all down, continuously writing until you have it all out, you’re tired, cold and more than ready to get back into bed to sleep. Use the relaxing breathing to focus on settling into a deep, restful sleep.
(c) Sue Lester, Growing Content. www.growingcontent.com.au
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