Ways To Ease Your Stress
We all get frazzled. We all get overwhelmed and snappy. And we all need to re-center before we share that feeling with the rest of the world. Here are a few one-minute "wake-ups" that will help you to re-focus on what's important.
Susie Michelle Cortright
- What are you thankful for? List as many "gratitudes" as you can in one minute. Don't think, just write.
- Recite one-liners and uplifting quotes.
- Close your eyes and listen to your life in all its noisy glory.
- Change your mental scenery. Close your eyes and imagine that you are somewhere else. Somewhere with sand.
- Drink a towering glass of cold water. Visualize it as an energy elixir (because it is.)
- Light a candle and enjoy a mini-meditation staring into its flame.
- Smile for an entire minute (This falls into the category of "fake it till you make it.")
- Listen to a behavior modification tape.
- Really look at your family. Leo Buscaglia once took a poll of college students. "What color are your mother's eyes?" he wanted to know. Only 20 percent of them could answer the question. Take an entire minute to look -- really look -- at your spouse or your kids. Strive to be fully present with them, one minute at a time.
- Read an uplifting children's book to your kids.
- Read a devotional or meditation.
- Be silent.
- Turn on some classical music. Close your eyes to listen.
- Jot a few things in your "Bliss Book," a personal journal that contains only positive thoughts, positive memories, positive ideas.
- Ask yourself: How can I find more patience, calm and strength right now?
