SELF AWARE – Page 6

“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”~Amit Ray

Do we really need a “stress awareness month”? I’m pretty sure we are already aware of how stressed we are! How can we not be? We’re constantly being bombarded with energy, taking on extra responsibility and attempting to meet our various and ever-increasing deadlines.

From the media to friends, family and even those we don’t even know, everything is energy and, at times, we are effected without even knowing the source. Isn’t it interesting that Stress Awareness Month is also the month our taxes are due?

Although each of us could choose neutral, say hello to the energy and simply let it go, most of us have not arrived at that blissful, neutral, non-complicated place. For those of us who are givers we need to remind ourselves it’s important (and OK) to give to ourselves. Even 5 minutes of self-care begins to do just that.

When we really break it down, much of the cause of our stress comes from our attention being outside of ourselves. We are thinking (or worrying about) the past or future. We are trying to control others. We are in resistance (circumstances or people), or we are worrying about others and/or how someone else will react. Of course there are many other stressors but for now, let’s focus on a few things we can do to de-stress.

Eat well

Bodies not only need balanced nutrition but they ENJOY eating! When you eat a healthy, balanced diet your body will be happy. Focus on your food when eating. If you’re at home, eat at the table, use the good dishes. Make mealtime enjoyable. Really taste the food. The more of your senses you use, the more in present time, and less stressed, you will be! Also, a hungry body is a stressed body. Don’t skip meals and DO have something on hand for when you find yourself hungry between meals. It’s ok to add healthy snacks or an additional small meal to your day.

Exercise and Play

Fact: Bodies need to exercise AND play! You might not enjoy exercising in the traditional sense so find something you enjoy doing. Maybe even combine it with play! Go to the playground and swing on a swing. Skip down the street, take a dance class, enjoy a bicycle tour of your city, go to the arboretum or walk the gardens, go on a hike, a climb or try something new like spelunking. Commit to a little “fun movement” every day. If you don’t have much time you can certainly take a 10 minute walk. Whatever you choose to do, be sure to notice your surroundings. Smell the flowers. Listen to sounds and by all means feel your body and breathe!

Hobbies

When was the last time you did something you enjoy for no other reason but you enjoy doing it? What are you interested in? Sometimes we get so caught up in work and/or day-to-day tasks we forget to do the things we like to do. It might be an artistic endeavor, a craft, an activity, learning to speak another language or even reading a book. I just read a study that said reading for only 5 minutes will dramatically reduce stress. If you don’t have a hobby but want to try something new, check out Meetup.com . Scroll through and find something that sounds like fun and by all means check it out. Any shift in your attention and energy will shift your stress level!

Meditation/Mindfulness

There is nothing better for de-stressing than meditation and inner reflection. Create a “Zen Den” for yourself. This is a comfortable “sanctuary” space free of distractions; A safe, anxiety free, zone if you will. If you have a meditation practice great! If not, simply close your eyes, breathe, bring your attention and energy back to you and imagine the stress simply melting away.

Meditation won’t solve all your problems but it will instantly shift your energy and definitely help! I have a couple of guided meditations (free to listen or download) available on my website and I’m working on adding a special stress relieving meditation as well. “Transforming Chaos to Calm” was initially offered as a free meditation workshop and is a very popular download.

Get a Massage

A massage is a great way to unwind and don’t discount the power of the human touch. If you are feeling isolated, alone and stuck in your thoughts, a massage will bring you back to the present. It will not only bring your attention back to your body it feels good! If you have a limited amount of time, check out a neck/shoulder massage. Depending on where you live and what your job is, they might even offer these types of massages at your workplace or close by.

Now that you have a few tried and true ways to de-stress, do you know what they all have in common? With each one you step out of your “thoughts”, shift your perspective and re-center mind, body and spirit in present time! Your energy and attention are on you, for you.

Part of de-stressing lies in the ability to give to yourself. Take a breath, acknowledge you are stressed then stop and get into present time with your surroundings. If you think you don’t have time, think again! There are 24 hours in a day and we’re talking about 10-15 minutes a day at the very least, 1 or 2 hours a day at most, depending on how much time you have and/or need to de-stress.

Take time each day to unwind and bring your attention back to you. Create a “Zen Den” sanctuary. Live in the moment. Live in your breath and transform chaos to calm.~Shine Your Light Debbie

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If you have difficulty sitting down to meditate, you are not alone!

First there’s the time factor. Technology has made it easier than ever to schedule every moment of our day because we’re always connected.

Not too long ago if we were expecting a phone call, we sat at home or at the office waiting for it. Now we can take that call where ever we are.

With an ever-growing list of responsibilities at the forefront of our lives we schedule ourselves silly and unless we schedule in our meditation time or “me time” there won’t be any. We must MAKE the time just to sit down and focus on our breath. Is it just me or is something wrong with that picture? Now before you go thinking I’m some scheduling Guru, I can assure you I don’t always ‘schedule’ time for myself.

The problem is, the less time I find to meditate, the less time it seems I HAVE to meditate; Or do anything else for that matter. In fact, on the days I make time to meditate I’m not only more effective and less overwhelmed completing my tasks, but I actually have MORE time (left over) in my day. I’m not really sure what this phenomenon is, but I can tell you from personal experience it’s true!

So you’ve scheduled in the time to meditate and now comes an even bigger challenge…actually meditating! I hear all the time from my clients, friends and energy worker colleagues how challenging it is to quiet the mind once you do sit down. I not only hear it from them but for as long as I’ve meditated there are times it’s challenging for me too.

Yes, I know what happens. You settle in, start to calm things down and then suddenly remember some task you forgot to complete or phone call that must be made or something that just has to be done right at that moment. Maybe you need to check Facebook or Twitter one last time…. Or you left the laundry in the washer….or you need to feed the cat or dog. Sound familiar?

We’ve become so used to “doing”, “responding” and not wanting to miss anything, it’s challenging even under the best of circumstances to quiet all of it down. What I’d like you to notice in all of that is the biggest challenge we have is bringing our attention back to ourselves. Tuning in to our breath. Focusing on OUR OWN needs.

One of the reasons (there are several but for the sake of keeping this less than a full novel I’ll only address one or two) it’s so challenging is because all our attention and energy is caught up in those things outside of us. It’s not that WE stop ourselves from inner peace and calm, it’s the energies we answer to that don’t want us to turn our attention inward.

Makes sense right? If we take a moment to get organized around our own energy, thoughts, wants and needs, who will take care of everyone else’s energy, thoughts, wants and needs? Once we start healing ourselves, others cannot control us, or get us to heal them, or give up our space to them so easily. Also, when you meditate consistently, your life begins to change rapidly.

You’ve heard the sayings “misery loves company” or “we love you don’t ever change”? Well, you can choose to be in that company or you can choose to move on. You can choose to stay the same and not change; Repeating the same patterns your whole life or you can acknowledge that when you sit down to meditate there may be other energies trying to stop you.

It’s important to recognize that in taking the path of healing and light, there are some that may not choose to go with you. They may not want to change and it may make them uncomfortable that you do. This doesn’t make them bad or unaware. It just might be they are on a different journey and not ready to step up in the same way, at the same time, you are. Acknowledge and validate where others are in their life. It’s ok for you to be where you are and it’s ok for them to be where they are.

Honor and respect others choices. The journey within is not about judging others or getting them to do it with you. It’s just the opposite. It’s caring for yourself and your needs. It’s about bringing your energy and attention back to you so you can be more of who you are and in doing so, by being around you, others have permission to (choose to) heal and be themselves.

If you find it difficult or downright impossible to sit down and meditate on any given day, try it for 5 or 10 minutes, then come back and do another 5 or 10 minutes later. In other words, give yourself a break. You might just be dealing with SO MUCH ENERGY that’s not yours it takes a while to clear.

So, schedule a meditation date with yourself and honor your “me time”. Although there are times when you need to break up the meditation (time), try to hang in there with a simple “breathe and release”. Break up the energy instead of the length of your mediation. How great is it to take charge of your life and create change on YOUR schedule?~Shine Your Light Debbie

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