How To Control Your Stress: An Exercise From Experience

A view of the countryside where I walk my dog. Somehow she let me take this without yanking me.

Do you suffer with stress and anxiety?

Are you ever asking yourself questions like? How do I find peace? How do I cure my depression? When will I be happy? How do I stop feeling anxious or better Focus with my ADHD? How to stop a panic attack?

You're not alone. Meditation may well be the answer to handling stress.

Few of us take a good look at ourselves and question how we are handling our own stress.

So what are the best ways to manage stress? and how should you manage stress?

In this blog, I will explain how to control stress, a way that has helped me personally manage and control my own stress.

An Experience

Many years ago, when I was 19, I completely overcame a deep bout of depression with a 3 step mindfulness exercise in a few months. Carrying out this technique daily, I was a great deal happier, but more than that, a great deal more enlightened. I gained a sense of calm and peace I had been searching for, I no longer felt lost.

This meditative exercise routine will help with clarity, regulating thoughts and having greater self control over thinking and bodily function. It increases self awareness, inner calm and may enable you to take back more control of your life. Control is the key word and desire.

This is a 3 stage technique I still practice from time to time, but the best way is to do this is consistently, daily for months at a time for the greatest results, as it takes practice to really get good at it, and reap the true benefits.

The Stress Exercise

A gentle stretch out before this exercise may help, to engage the muscles before acknowledging your mind and body. Nothing too strenuous, no cardio.

Some light Yoga or Tai Chi perhaps.

1. Body.

At first lie down on your back, bed or floor, be comfortable, lie as though on an autopsy table, palms up by your side, have no duvet of blankets touching you, this will cause distraction. Tilt your head back to open airway, rest your head on a thin pillow or nothing. 

Make sure you are able to physically relax. This requires thinking about each section of your body. Actively consider from your toes and upwards, each body part and relax every muscle in your body as you do, work your way up to your head. Don't move onto another muscle group until you've allowed your every muscle to sink, to truly relax, feel heavy - allow all your muscles to completely disengage. Consider even areas of your body you don't think about, your stomach muscles, diaphragm, neck and facial muscles, as you work upwards you will feel heavy.

2. Breathing.

After your muscles have relaxed, your body will not require as much oxygen. Taking control in this regard provides greater self awareness.

Make sure your airwaves are open and concentrate on breathing. Take long slow breaths and hold these. Each time you exhale, make sure you extend the time in between breaths. Don't let homeostasis take over. You may feel some sense of your body struggling for air but this is natural. Once you have managed to fully master breath, it has a tremendous knock on effect within. Self doubt can also be masted as your subconscious becomes reassured you have it all in hand. Try to begin to slow your breathing down with each time you take a new breath. Once mastered you can slow your breathing down incredibly, I have managed to inhale once every 1-2 minutes while doing this. This again, takes time to master.

I used to slow my heart rate to only a few beats every minute as well

3. Thought.

Our minds are wired to stay alert, this is a particularly adept defence mechanism. Too effective for some. Even when asleep our subconscious is alert, ready to jolt us into consciousness, like a PC in sleep mode. With the sudden development of technology, and being so glued to one scree or another, our minds are unable to provide us with rest and clarity.

This 3rd stage where you can make a lot of positive change to the way in which you think and how, thought managing and the amount of thoughts. Enabling living more in the present, preventing anxiety, stress and depression. This stage is the most difficult to master and can take months to do effectively. The idea is to take full control of your thoughts while still maintaining stage 1 and 2, your relaxed state and controlled breathing. In doing this, we enable true inner peace.

Try to concentrate on one thought, to do this I used to repeat a Buddhist mantra over and over. This is because the closest thing to nothing is one thing.  

We can't not think of nothing. In doing this, we allow our minds and bodies to switch off in a way we normally can't. Again reassuring both left and right side of the brain we have control. This is better than sleep, 3x times more effective. I have meditated in this way for 3 hours before now instead of sleep. It works.

It is common to drift off into another thoughts, your mind will wonder, like an unruly subject

This is normal. Call it back into place, continue training. Don't allow yourself to become frustrated by this. Remember you are not used to this and like any skill, take experience. You may also fall asleep while attempting this for the first month or so. This too is normal and at worst, will allow for a better night's sleep.

If you do feel sleepy, you may wish to sleep or continue. You are in control, you decide. Your body is a guide and shows you signs.

With perseverance I can, from experience tell you this works, you will be able to gain a great deal more control of your mind and body

A tool towards nirvana.

If you're struggling with your mental health, please speak to someone, reach out - you're not alone! We all need help at times.

Why not try out this free resource and excellent app

Psychmind on the App Store (apple.com)

psych minded health app

In the UK, there are free helplines to help when you're feeling down or desperate.

Unless it says otherwise, they're open 24 hours a day, every day.

You can also call these helplines for advice if you're worried about someone else.

NHS 111Call 111 – 24 hours every day

Information:

Samaritans – for everyone Call 116 123Email jo@samaritans.org

Information:

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)Call 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day Visit the webchat page

Information:

Papyrus – prevention of young suicide HOPELINE247Call 0800 068 41 41Text 07860 039967Email pat@papyrus-uk.org

Information:

Childline – for children and young people under 19Call 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill

Information:

SOS Silence of Suicide – for everyone Call 0808 115 1505 – 8pm to midnight Monday to Friday, 4pm to midnight Saturday and Sunday Email contact@sossilenceofsuicide.org

Thank you for reading.

Pisces Palmist.

#palmistry #palmreading #stress #meditation