Techniques to Reduce Stress

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Sometimes, life can get so hectic it can be hard to stop and find a few moments for ourselves. The constant hustle and bustle of daily life can start to add up and have detrimental effects on our emotional and physical wellbeing. I've been dealing with a tremendous amount of stress lately.  I found these techniques in my search for help and I feel they are helping me to deal more effectively.  Hope they are of help to you also.

By simply taking 15 minutes each day for yourself you can greatly reduce your stress levels. Here are some mindfulness techniques that will help to reduce stress.

Find a quiet place to sit (easier said than done most times). Shift your focus to your breathing and pick a single aspect to focus on: the rising and falling of your chest or the sensation in your nose.  Spend at least five minutes in this state of awareness; when your mind wanders, gently direct it back to your breath. Focusing on a single sensation can help still a racing mind. Focusing on the breath can also lead us to breathe more slowly and deeply, leading to a slower heart rate and a more relaxed state.

Slow down when you are eating, it's not a race to see how fast you can choke down your meal to get on to the next thing that you have to do.  Eat slowly. Focus on each sensation of your food: smell, sight, touch, sound, and taste.  Immerse yourself in the richness of the practice of eating, and try to eat your whole meal slowly with appreciation.  Taking time to appreciate the small things we often miss can liberate us from the constant concerns on our daily life. Eating more slowly can give our bodies the proper amount of time they need for digestion to avoid some common physiological triggers of stress.

Find a comfortable seated position, close your eyes, and bring your attention to the thoughts and feelings you’re experiencing moment to moment. Observe these thoughts and feelings in an open, non-judgmental way; don’t try to change them but simply acknowledge their presence, gently guiding your focus back when your mind wanders. Being able to recognize and separate ourselves from the strong thoughts and emotions we experience can help us learn how to regulate our moods more effectively.

Exerts from Beliefnet.com