3 Stress Busting Ideas for Stress Awareness Month

April is Stress Awareness Month. This is a great time to look at the stress and the stressors in your life and create a path to eliminate or significantly lower the chronic stress response.

Good Stress Versus Bad Stress

A certain minimal level of stress can be good. It can help us focus attention and access success resources. That kind of stress is eustress.  

Eustress can happen for example when we're thinking about a first date with someone, preparing for a presentation, or doing something for the very first time. You've practiced, you're ready to go, you've done all the things necessary. But there are still those butterflies in your stomach. That type of stress is short lived, it’s episodic.

The problem stress is long term chronic stress. The sources of chronic stress can be many. They can be problematic situations at work, problems with significant others in a relationship, or ongoing financial based stress. These all (and many other situations) can create chronic stress. 

How can you successfully deal with stress? 

3 Ideas to Dissolve Stress 

Idea Number 1: Conduct a Stress Assessment

The first thing I suggest is take an inventory of the top two or three situations, people, or circumstances you believe are stressors. Write those stressors down. Naming the stress and naming the source of stress alone can often help reduce your stress response. 

Once written down, let your imagination wander and come up with three actions you can take to help reduce that number one stressor.

Questions to consider: 

• Can you eliminate the trigger? 

• Can you better prepare for the problem situation? 

• Is this a situation that can be helped or eliminated with an honest, open conversation? 

Let your subconscious mind have free rein to offer ideas that can eliminate or reduce the stress response.

Repeat the same process for the second and third stressors on your list. 

Idea Number 2: Take Defense Action Ahead of Stress Creating Situations

What do I mean by that? As an example, If you know you're going to have a conversation with someone who is a problem, plan that conversation and the circumstances related to that conversation. 

Rehearse in mind how you are going to deal with that person or situation. Create a mind video story where you act out what you will do, say, and feel. Play that video in the theatre of mind. Make the video big, bold, and in full Technicolor.

Once you have the plan in place and you created and played your video story, write down an affirmation that supports your story.

For example, if a co-worker is a problem you've created a video story about how you will deal with that co-worker on a day to day basis or in a particular situation. The affirmation would be something like, 

“I choose to develop the strategies I created in that video story. I choose to apply those strategies in circumstances where I have contact with the individual I have a problem with."

The magic two words are, “I choose”.  Before going into an interaction with that person, revisit the video story. It only takes a couple of seconds to do that. Then, reread the affirmation you have written down. This will help ensure you are emotionally prepared and mentally ready to deal with whatever comes up. 

Idea Number 3: Take 1 to 2 Minute Breathing Breaks

I recommend you apply deep breathing early and often. Breathe in for the count of five, hold briefly for a second or so, and breathe out for the count of five. That can be four seconds, five seconds, or six seconds. 

The important thing is to breathe diaphragmatically and rhythmically with a slow comfortable in breath, a brief hold for a second or so, and a slow out breath. As you breathe out, smile and say peace. Apply deep breathing for 30 seconds to two minutes as time and circumstances allow.

Doing this simple breath exercise several times a day will help keep your stress level down. You will feel better, your stress level will be lower, and you will have a much, much better day.

In Summary:

• Take a Stress Inventory and identify two or three promising stress lowering strategies;

• Create a video mind story for one or more of your chosen strategies and prepare a short affirmation using the words, “I Choose”; and,

• Practice 1 to 2 minutes of deep, Diaphragmatic Breathing several times a day.

Visit the “Mind Over Stress” Show Website

For more Stress Mastery methods visit the “Mind Over Stress Show” website at http://MindOverStress.us. 

Stephen Carter

Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com | Podcast: www.MindOverStress.us 

Good Stress, Bad Stress, and No Stress With Mindful Breathing

Important Note: To listen to the "Mind Over Stress" podcast episode related to this blog post, click the audio player at the bottom of this post. Because some phones and tablets may not show the player, you can also listen on our "Mind Over Stress" website home page at http://MindOverStress.us.

Is There Such a Thing as "Good Stress"?

It's important to make a distinction between a stress experience that can be positive and another that can be problematic - and how to deal with the latter.

The Eustress Experience

A visit to http://Dictionary.com tells us that a type of stress called "Eustress" is defined as, "stress that is deemed healthful or giving one the feeling of fulfillment". 

Examples include situations such as learning a new skill, preparing for your wedding, or those "butterflies" that come just before you're about to make a presentation. Eustress is episodic rather than chronic; it is typically associated with a positive change or experience.

The Distress Experience

Dictionary.com tells us that "Distress" the "other" stress experience - includes, "great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble". 

While there are an array of differences between eustress and distress, two of the most important are the duration and the meaning we give to the stress sensations. Typically, eustress situations are short lived (example: going on that "first date") and have an element of fun or positive excitement.

Distressful situations typically drag on for what seems like forever. Examples include working for a nasty boss, a lack of money to pay the bills every month, or being the caregiver for a seriously ill family member. There is no sense of fun, adventure, or positive excitement when we experience distress.

How Much Stress is Too Much?

One good way to determine when we are in a chronically distressed state is to monitor thoughts, emotions, and energy. Chronic distress wears on our sense of well-being and robs us of vitality. Our thoughts, mood, and general disposition turn negative. 

If your mood and sense of physical and emotional well-being turn south and you recognize your relationships are suffering, it's time to take action to manage and ultimately master the chronic distress experience called the Stress Repose.

How Do I Begin to Master Stress?

There are countless ways to mitigate and ultimately master the Stress Response. One of the easiest ways is to build short, mindful breathing breaks into your daily routine. This does not require you to sit on a cushion, OM, or spend hours in meditation. For most people, extended daily meditation isn't an option.

3-Step Mindful Breathing Practice

As a start toward your Stress Mastery way of living, I suggest doing the following simple Mindful Breathing practice.

• Set a timer or email reminders to alert you at least once an hour (once every 30-minutes is better) that it's time to take a break.

• Close your eyes for 60 - 90 seconds and simply breathe. As you breathe say in mind or out loud, "In" as you breathe in and then say "Out" as you exhale. The idea is to give your attention to the breath as you breathe in and out.

• If your attention drifts toward thoughts or physical sensations other than your breath, as soon as you notice the change, simply return your attention to your breathing.

After completing your 60 to 90-seconds of Mindful Breathing, open your eyes, stretch, yawn and return to your activities renewed and refreshed.

When you complete your first Mindful Breathing practice, congratulate yourself! You've taken an important step towards a practice of Mindfulness Meditation and a calmer, healthier you.

Improved Well-being With Each Day of Mindful Breathing Practice

You'll begin to notice positive brain | mind | body benefits of Mindful Breathing practice within a couple of days. Those emotional and psychical benefits will grow with each day of practice. Aim for at least 10 to 15-minutes of Mindful Breathing in total each day, accumulated one to two minutes at a time. 

If you would like to practice Mindful Breathing for more time each day, so much the better. 

Podcast Episode for This Post

Listen to the "Mind Over Stress" podcast episode that leads you through the easy 3-step Mindful Breathing method by clicking the player below. 

If you don't see the player, go directly to the Mind Over Stress podcast website at http://MindOverStress.us. 

This episode is available on the site's homepage. 

Blessings, light, and peace,

Steve Carter

Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com | Mind Over Stress Podcast: http://MindOverStress.us 

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How to Solve the Big Meditation Problem

There are thousands of scientific research studies validating the benefits meditation can have on physical, emotional, and mental well-being. 

We all know we should be meditating, but life happens. Despite our best intentions, the actual doing gets hijacked by busy mornings, crying children, and hectic schedules. After missing one day and then another, our resolve dissolves and our meditation practice stops entirely.

There's an App for That

To paraphrase a term associated with cell phones and computers, "there's an app for that". In this case, "app" stands for applying Passive Breath Meditation (PBM) during your busy day. 

PBM allows you to solve the "No time for meditation" problem is a simple, elegant way that will have you back on the meditation wagon for good. Your Body - Mind - Spirit will say, "Thank you" in many beautiful, well-being enhancing ways.

Here's the 5-minute micro-training video.

                           Link: https://youtu.be/xmWwI0PunNg


Blessings and light,

Steve Carter

Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com 

P.S. To be notified of other upcoming holistic health, stress mastery, and emotional well-being webinars and videos, visit http://www.eft-md.com/contact-us.html and look on the lower right of the page for the "Join Our Energy and Holistic Healing Family" sign-up.