I’m so stressed! What do I do?

Stress seems inevitable in a modern world filled with obligation and responsibility. We know the negative impact it has on our lives yet we often feel helpless to stem the tide. There are numerous ways to prevent and cope with stress so I want to just add fuel for thought here.

Often stress is subjective so it is always important to put things in their proper perspective. If you don’t like a picture you can often change the frame which leaves it looking much better. Same picture, different frame. In life, we can reframe “problems” into opportunities within a challenge. This frees us up to come up with more effective ways to deal with the issue.

Sometimes we feel stressed when we’re overwhelmed by life’s setbacks. Just feeling “normal” can reduce a lot of stress. For example, a new mother is stressed because she cannot stop her baby crying, cure his colic or get him to sleep the right amount of hours. If she stops putting pressure on herself to be a naturally competent mother, reframes the problem into something that is normal and common, she can feel better about her efforts.

 “All babies cry, some babies have colic, and for me the sleep routine has to work around me and I’m doing the best I can” – saying this can reduce a great deal of stress. Apply this to breastfeeding and any other baby issue as well.

Comparing ourselves to others and the so-called “norm” creates undue stress as we try to fit a label or into a box of what we’re supposed to be doing and who we’re supposed to be. Mothers compare their babies in regards to walking and talking, women compare their sex lives, men compare their careers and status, etc. Then we see where we fit in on this continuum and feel stress when we don’t measure up. Be who you are, be happy with that (acceptance) and measure your accomplishments by your own yard stick.

Think in terms of positives instead of negatives. “I want to make healthier food choices” is more positive than “I must stop eating junk food”. Train your mind positively in this way. It makes things a little easier to deal with. Focus on the “do” rather than the “don’t”. it does make a difference.

These are all positive mental attitudes towards stress free living. Some other ways to relieve stress include:

• Do an activity where you lose yourself and all sense of time, and you feel connected to who you are. This could be gardening, art, listening to music or dancing.

• Spoil yourself by going out for a cappuccino, taking a scented bath or buying a CD you’ve had your eye on. This shows you that you respect yourself and feel worthy.

• Cut yourself some slack once in a while. Don’t expect the world of yourself, just expect the very best that you can do. Leave the superhuman expectations and judgements to the superhumans, i.e. not of this world!

• Practice gratitude for everything you have RIGHT NOW. Feel abundance in your heart, mind and in your life. See the Godliness in everything around you, the people, nature and life’s challenges. Feel love, for yourself and others, and show it.

I can’t guarantee you’ll feel blissfully happy every minute of the day, but you will feel more in control, you will feel content and happy most of the time, and you will deal with the down days quicker and more efficiently.

Life IS good!!!