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If your goal is to stop all of the stress in your life, that is unlikely. Stress will come no matter how much we cut back on work or say no to additional projects. Those things can definitely help but emergencies are bound to happen.
Therefore it is imperative that you find a way to manage your stress levels when problems arise. Stress may pile up little by little or may come on all of a sudden with a major problem. The strategies to relax must already be in place or they will be hard to implement when you are overwhelmed.
To prepare for this inevitability, write down five things you can do in five minutes to reduce stress, five things in 15 minutes, five things in a half hour and five things in an hour. Then you need to schedule those into your calendar on a regular basis.
I think the 15 minute or less stress relievers are the most important, as they are the ones you can do daily and it is a bit unreasonable to say you can't find five minutes to relax. The important thing is to maximize those short relaxation sessions.
I hope you have included relaxation recordings and meditation sessions into your 5 -15 minute relaxation plan. I really believe they give you the biggest bang for your buck and allow you to return to your day with a new mindset. Try this simple meditation as an example of a quick way to shift your outlook.
Read through the meditation and then close your eyes and remember what you can. Make sure to let the meditation go in the direction your intuition leads you.
Meditation
Take a few deep breaths. Find yourself walking through a house. What does the room you are in look like? What is on the floor? What color are the walls. What furniture is in the room?
Continue walking through the house as you know a friend lives here and you are looking for them. Walk towards the kitchen where you hear the sounds of activity.
When you enter the kitchen the wonderful aroma of dinner, freshly baked bread and dessert fill your nostrils. What do you smell? What of these smells are most appealing to you? How does the idea of someone cooking for you make you feel?
Your friend stops cooking to come over and give you a hug. This may be a friend you recognize, or may be a guide who is new to you, yet is still your friend. Your friend asks you to sit, and brings you over a plate of food and something warm to drink. As you eat you feel refreshed and cared for.
Your friend comes to sit with you and says they have a message for you. What do they tell you? It may come in the form of words, feelings, or thoughts. Take whatever is given.
Once you feel full of the food and drink, thank your guide and walk back through the house to the front door. Exit the house and look back at the house. Smile, feeling grateful for this nurturing break.
You may now drift off to sleep if you are tired and have the time, or begin hear the sounds around your physical body. Wiggle your fingers and toes, and when you feel ready open your eyes.
It is often good to eat or drink something after meditation. You may also want to write your experience down in a journal, as this helps to clarify what you have learned.
I hope this has allowed you to take a break from your concerns. Reducing your anxiety about a problem can also allow you to come up with more creative solutions.
Thank you for taking this time with me. I will be so happy if I can help just a few people let go of some building stress.
Take care,
Jessica Cross
www.JessicaCrossASMR.com
