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