Stress happens to all of us in good times and in bad. Stress is always happening for so many reasons. It is neither bad or good in itself. All things in life are stressful. The problem with stress is the ways in which we deal with it. When you deal with stress in a non healthy way, it can lead to a low immune system, sleeping problems and digestive problems. This can also cause mental and emotional health problems. The main reason these things happen is when we try to not deal with the stress in our everyday lives and suppress it.
One practice that can be used to help deal with the stress in our lives is a practice called mindfulness. Mindfulness is a mental practice of focusing on one’s thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations in the present moment. It’s about having the awareness of what is going on inside you and around you in that moment. When you take the time to be mindful of what is going on, you can deal with stressful events or problems that you are facing in a more healthy way. If you can take a few moments to be mindful in a stressful event and check in with yourself, you can mitigate the negative effects of stress.
In America, more than ninety percent of people are chronically stressed out. We need to rework our perceptions to combat this epidemic. You can start practicing mindfulness by simply focusing in on your breathing. Observe how your breathing for a few minutes. Then start to notice the thoughts and feelings you are having.
As you practice mindfulness, you will learn to be aware of what is going on around you as well. If you ever get distracted while your practicing mindfulness you can always come back to your breathing.
Mindfulness has helped me learn to deal with stress in my life. It has helped me learn to properly respond to stressful events in my life, in a healthy way. This practice may be hard at first for some, but the more you practice the easier it will become.
Try it out and let me know how it went.