Calming Your Mind and Lowering Your Stress Levels
More often than not, we tend to focus on too many things every day, leading to confusion, anxiety, and annoyance. This stress can be hard on the mind and body, but the good news is that you can lower your stress levels and calm your mind, helping yourself to feel better each day.
In fact, you can overcome these issues with a few simple techniques!
First, acknowledge that you must take time for yourself. Being all things to all people isn't realistic, and neither is doing everything and solving all problems or concerns in one day. No one should expect that of you! If they do, you must recognize that it's not healthy, and you must do what's right and best for you. Your health and happiness could depend on it.
Ways to Calm Your Mind
Meditation and prayer are two of the biggest ways to calm a restless mind, but they aren't the only things you can do. There are many other choices to help you feel better and live a stress-free life. You might also consider:
- Volunteering or focusing on helping others
- Exercising
- Listening to music
- Using your mind for joyous pursuits that interest you
- Playing with children or pets
Everyone has different things they enjoy in life, and you should find yours and practice them when you start to feel stressed or your thoughts try to run away from you. Avoid letting your thoughts talk you out of your dreams. Your dreams are yours; embrace them!
Being busy is not the problem when it comes to your mind. Being busy with things that aggravate you and make you feel down is the problem. Instead of dwelling on things that upset you, deal with them, let them go, and move on to things that you enjoy. You can do this with your thoughts, just like you would with a physical task in the workplace or at home.
Lower Your Stress Levels Each Day
Stress begins in your mind as thoughts, but it can manifest itself physically. You may feel tense, anxious, uneasy, angry, or have aches and pains you can't really find a cause for. If stress continues all the time and becomes chronic, your health could be compromised.
You can let stress go and feel good every day.
Try these strategies to lower your stress:
- Focus on what matters to you. What's important in your life? Be proactive about your goals and priorities. When you're working toward something that you want, it makes you feel good about yourself and your future.
- Find both physical and mental ways to release your stress. Releasing your stress every day keeps it from building up inside you. Make the conscious choice to start each day fresh, without the stress from the day before. What relaxes you? Music? Hobbies? Spending time with your family? Enjoy a healthy dose of relaxation every day. Get as much exercise as possible. Exercise refreshes your body with a surge of oxygen and releases endorphins, the "feel good" hormone. Even if there's no time for an exercise session, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from the building so you can walk, and play with your kids or pets.
- Practice these strategies consistently. Work on releasing your stress every day, even on days when you don't feel as much stress, so it won't be a struggle when you really need it. When you're feeling good, it's natural to forget about letting stress go, but it's important to avoid getting complacent.
Keep practicing and improving, even when you feel great!
Whichever techniques you choose to calm your mind and lower your levels of stress, ensure it's the right fit for you and your lifestyle. Only you know what you really need and what makes you feel safe and at peace.
If you practice this peacefulness each day, it won't be long before you start to feel calmer, even in situations where you would have previously been over the edge. Your thoughts will be clearer, instead of jumbled and racing. Physically, you'll feel stronger, too, because your body will be free from the affliction of stress and anxiety.
If you’d like to chat with one of our peer support specialists about how to deal with your stress rather than letting your stress control you, just send a message to m.me/callforbackup.org and we’d be happy to connect with you.