Let it go!!!: Ease Away the Stress
Photo Credit:http://allaboutyoga.com
I live in Lagos and it can be crazy and can get under your skin and begin to
manifest, it comes with the terrain. Don't get me wrong, Lagos is a city of
possibilities a land of adventure and interesting tales. But amidst the noise,
the sweat the rush, how do you center yourself, relieve the stress relax and
refresh.
Stress has become a part of life, it’s something that everyone faces daily whether
you ask for it or not, and it’s everywhere in the world (not just in Lagos), it
can start from within you or from around you. You can either stress yourself
out or be stressed out by others or things around you. From the ever changing
terrain of our work place, the nature of our jobs, a crazy work load or
standing in a queue to the kind of stress that life itself brings and we have
no control over; Death of a loved one, Sickness, Natural disaster, crime, or losing
a job, or even stress peculiar to us as individuals; bringing up our kids,
increasing financial obligations, our fears, uncertainty, our expectations,
change or figuring out the next big move is. It can get really overwhelming and
weight us down.
Bringing all these things together can really take its toll on our minds and
bodies and in extreme cases can lead to illness and distress which would cost
you money and a whole lot of other things, but do we hold on to the things that
cause an imbalance in our lives or LET IT GO!!!! And set sail to the stress
boat. You cannot get rid of stress but you can ease out of stress and into a
healthier and happier life by coping with it.
Ron Kenolly a popular gospel artiste once said in a song “if you catch Hell
don’t hold it, if you’re going through hell don’t stop”. If you have stress
breathing down your neck, don’t give it a foot hold, do what is important for
your peace of mind and keep at it, never throw in the towel till you have achieved
your goal.
Just to put this out there, there are wrong ways of dealing with stress that
are very temporary and eventually compound the stress situation. A few are: Drinking
in excess, an unhealthy affair with junk or comfort food,getting caught up for hours in front of a TV or computer
, Withdrawing from friends,
family, and activities,Using drugs to relax
, Sleeping too much, Procrastinating, Filling up
every minute of the day to avoid facing problems, Taking out your stress on
others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence). I must say. Don’t stress
out, ease out of it. LET IT GO!!!!
There are some things you need to unlearn and some your lifestyle changes
you need to imbibe.
Positive Self talks, you need to talk to yourself , say uplifting words in
your head, you can say them out loud too. Words like “I can do this”, “I will
make it”, and “everything will be fine”. Take some time and practice this, it
really does work and it beats talking yourself down.
Express yourself; don’t bottle up your feelings, always communicate your
concerns in an open and respectful manner.
Take some time to breathe, calm down your mind. Don’t rush; don’t burden
yourself with over thinking. Putting yourself under pressure is a sure way to a
stressful day
Recreation; Do something you love something that lifts your spirits;
singing, painting, dancing, taking a stroll, and hiking. Whatever makes your
world go round.
Emotional Intelligence; understanding and learning how to manage your
emotions and that of others. It helps you to relieve stress and communicate
with others to prevent stress or reduce it to the barest minimum.
Relax your mind and body. Have a shower: hot or cold, turn off the lights
and sleep like a baby. This will rejuvenate and refresh you.
Exercise body and mind. It gets your blood pumping, it energizes you and boosts
your immunity, and it also keeps you alert. It also helps you relax and sleep better
too. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by also eating right.
Take advantage of nature, a natural stress reliever. Take in beautiful
scenery. Wet your feet at the beach. Listen to the wind rushing through the
trees. Walk on the grass bare foot.
Stop worrying and start living, take your mind off of what should have been
done or what you can’t do and do what you actually need to do and what is
important. Worrying stagnates you, it puts your life on pause.
Don’t bite more than you can chew. There is only so much that your mind and
body can handle, learn to know your limits. Be realistic with the goals you set
for yourself or the tasks you intend to achieve within a time period.
Preserve good boundaries and learn to say no especially when it cuts into
your time, activities or resources. Avoid people who stress you out. Don’t get
me wrong help out every time you can, but remember boundaries can be over
stepped or even shifted if not preserved.
Laugh at your mistakes; don’t beat yourself over the head. We are only but
human and to err is human. Mistakes and challenges actually bring out the best
in you.
Learn to pick your battles, learn to say “I’m sorry” and apologize when you
know you are wrong, also learn to forgive you would be doing yourself a great
good. Getting a sorry out gets a whole lot off your chest.
Devise newer and simpler methods of doing everyday activities things; choose
online banking instead of joining a long queue, Do your registrations on time
to avoid the rush or additional charges.
Take
control of your environment; create the kind of ambiance that helps you relax. Make
your home or room a safe haven. Let your home be some where you long to go to
after a hectic day.
Listen to music, Personally i love music because it’s soothing and therapeutic. Get caught up in the melody;
take your mood up several notches, relax your mind.
Don’t ever lose your sense of humour. You need all the joy and laughter you
can get in life. you can also help others ease their stress with your humour
and get relieved as well.
Relate; Get together with friends often, have fun and ease your mind. Relationships
are valuable and are nurturing. You can talk about what you are going through,
get encouragement and support
. A listening ear splits the fear,
just thought of this now.
Prayer and meditation life can get terribly hectic
and it seems nothing can calm your day. For me prayer works a great deal and
meditating on the bible does great wonders
Life can get real heavy sometimes, and when
it does know that you are stronger than you think and wiser than you give
yourself credit for. Take a deep breath and live a stress free life. Hope this
post helps