There is a direct correlation between staying healthy and stress reduction. Stress has a tendency to build up and if we don't do anything to lower our stress levels, we may find that our bodies and minds have a ?melt down? of sorts. Stress reduction is essential for both our long-term physical and emotional health. It can be very hard to deal with everyday events if you are stressed out and eventually you will crack if you don't deal with the pent up anger, stress and aggression you are holding in.
The emotional side of stress can take its toll on a person. The same goes for the physical. Stress reduction is necessary if you have unexplained shoulder or back pain, migraine or tension headaches, constant ?butterflies? in your stomach, hair loss, sleep problems, lack of concentration, nervousness, chest pains and fatigue. These are all symptoms that you are suffering from stress. Stress reduction can teach you how to recognize these symptoms and prevent them from getting any worse than they already are.
If you know how to properly deal with stress, you will be able to calm yourself down when you start to feel yourself getting upset. Stress reduction methods are perfect for use in situations like this. If you are at work and your boss just yelled at your for something that would normally get you very stressed out, a stress reduction method to use is deep breathing. It's an exercise that you can do behind closed doors or even open ones if you have no choice. No one has to know you're doing it and it will help you to calm down almost instantly. You take one deep breath in and hold it for four to five seconds. Then, let your breath out and hold it for another four or five seconds. Repeat this stress reduction exercise until you begin to feel your body returning to normal. With every breath you exhale, you should feel the tension draining from your shoulders, neck and face.
If you let yourself get overstressed, the symptoms described above will be extreme. You might have constant headaches, an ever-present feeling of nervousness or just a general tensed up feeling throughout your entire body. These physical and emotional symptoms can start to affect your daily performance. You might be short with those you love, get annoyed easily, feel depressed, overwhelmed or unorganized. At this point, you will need to practice stress reduction methods every day until you begin to feel like yourself again.
A stress reduction method that will definitely help to let some of the tension from your body go is a deep tissue massage. It will feel amazing, give you some much needed relaxation and help you to calm your muscles. You will want to couple that with breathing exercise when you feel anxious or stressed and you may want to take up yoga as another stress reduction method you can practice on a weekly basis. These stress reduction exercises will not only allow you to deal with the built-up stress that has already taken up residence in your mind and body, but they can also help prevent it from happening again!
Wherever you are right now, stop everything (this is important). Take just a moment and sit back in your seat. Now, put your hands on your abdomen with you fingertips barely touching. On your next inhale separate your fingertips by breathing deeply and slowly into your belly, allowing your breath to push them apart. Then exhale slowly so that your fingertips come back together. When you've finished, try it again.
There. That's it...THE key to unlocking the door to your own growth and evolvement, to managing and actually reducing the stress in your life, and to setting in motion a small but resounding ripple in the betterment of the world.
Sound ridiculous? Are you wondering how one deep breath can claim to accomplish so much? The answer lies not in the biological functioning of the breath, but in its ability to focus attention, to bring mind and body into sync and release the present from concerns over the past or future. And when this happens time and space is created for deepening self-knowledge and awareness, which in turn leads to more purposeful, engaged and inspired living.
Sitting quietly for five, ten, twenty minutes a day, following your breath, is a good way to begin creating a personal practice of what is called "mindfulness." In today's speed-of-light world, it's common to feel scattered...for the mind to be thinking about one thing, while the heart reaches toward another and the body hangs out in the space-time continuum. Mindfulness is about bringing all these aspects of the self together. It's about becoming fully and deeply present, aware of each passing moment. And the simplest, easiest and best place to begin is the breath.
Though it won't stop there. When you become intentional in the practice of being mindful a deeper process will be triggered. The ability to focus on your own inner experience and to become fully present will begin to flow into every aspect of your life...into your words, and thoughts and actions...into your relationships and work and personal endeavors. You will wake and realize that you are, maybe for the first time, actually experiencing the moments of your existence.
But how does that transfer to saving the world?
Peace, and all roads that lead to it and from it, begin with the individual. Peaceful individuals create peaceful homes, create peaceful communities, create peaceful nations, create a peaceful world.
To truly make progress in your own growth and development...to make the deepest impact possible on the state of the planet, begin with your self. Learn the art of mindfulness. Devote 2...5...10...30 minutes a day to practicing presence. Take time each day to show up fully. Get to know yourself. Create your own personal practice. It can include anything that stills the mind, quiets the heart, calms the spirit, inspires the soul...breathing, meditation, walking, prayer, dance, art, journaling ...the purpose is to take time to be in this world of doing, to bring peace to your self so that when you venture into the world you carry it with you like a lantern you pass on to others.
So take another moment, another breath. But this time, breathe like you mean it. It is the key to your own growth, and just may be the key to the healing of the world.
Both Sammy Chim & Tracy Carreon are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sammy Chim has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interest, Health and Skin Care. Visit The Author's Website To Find Out More On Eliminate Stress And Improve Your Health With Our. Sammy Chim's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
Tracy Carreon has sinced written about articles on various topics from Stress Management, Personal Growth. Tracy Carreon MA, is a writer and life coach with a background in education and counseling. Through her website, she offers information, produc. Tracy Carreon's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.