When was the last time you felt stressed?
And what did you do with that stress?
Most people are inclined to…
Bury it.
Ignore it.
Buffer it with food, alcohol, shopping…
Although these actions may help you feel better temporarily, they will not help you to recognize and process stress in a healthy way.
“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’.”
Eckhart Tolle
In today’s group meditation, I discussed steps for processing stress in the moment.
Being here now is the key to stress relief!
Here are the steps I use to process stress in the here and now (Feel free to screenshot this and save as a favorite on your phone for when stress arises):
- Close your eyes.
- Focus on your breath.
- Take note, “I feel stress right now.”
- Move towards it and get to know it, like a friend.
- Try not to resist the feeling.
- Where do you feel it in the body?
- How does it feel?
- Go to that part of your body (out of your head) and notice:
- The color of stress
- The shape
- The texture
- The feeling
- Whether it is constant or changing
- Does it have fast or slow vibrations?
- By getting to know the stress, you are taking the wind out of it’s sails.
Did you know that on average, a negative emotion will only last for 90 seconds in the body? By processing stress in the moment, you can move through this negative feeling and then move on with your day.