No matter how zen someone might be on a day-to-day basis, stress is one of those things that can sneak up on a person, or hit them all at once. Whatever the case may be, stress tends to build up and spill into other places if not kept in check. In order to maintain some semblance of balance and control, one must take conscious steps to prevent or alleviate stress when it happens. Read further for a handful of tricks that will keep stress at bay.
1. Natural Remedies
Most of what the human body needs for health and wellness can be found in nature. If you are experiencing stress or anxiety frequently, then there’s a chance you may have an internal imbalance of some kind, not just external. There are a handful of natural medicines the earth provides, which can be found on buymyweedonline in several different variations to suit your preferences. Some other alternatives you have if cannabis is not an option are green tea, valerian, kava kava, omega-3 fatty acids, and lemon balm. All of these have been used for their tranquilizing or serotonin inducing effects and have shown positive results in relation to stress and anxiety.
2. Presence and Meditation
A lot of the human race’s pain stems from an inability to let go of the past or an incessant forward-thinking mindset that is fixated on the future rather than the present moment. Whether a person tends to replay painful experiences from their past over and over again, or is constantly imagining what the future will bring, these can cause stress that can easily go unchecked if the person is prone to letting their thoughts wander.
If you ever find your mind drifting into the past, or fast-forwarding to the future, then take a moment to shift gears and place your mind into the present moment. If you’re walking through your neighborhood, then really pay attention to the details—the trees, the birds chirping, the breeze—this is presence. Letting go, for just a moment, the pain from the past or fear of the future has extreme benefits for mental health and is at the core of many spiritual teachings.
Presence is often sought after, but rarely harnessed. It takes more practice than you might think. Meditation is one of the primary ways to practice presence. Once you can be present during meditation, eventually, presence will become your new normal state.
3. Yoga and Exercise
Yoga is another excellent way for putting yourself in the present mind. By focusing on your breathing and body position, you are completely “in your body” without the distraction of restless thoughts going away from the present moment. Those who practice yoga typically sleep and manage stress better than those who don’t.
Exercise remains as one of the primary components of physical and mental health. While your physical body is reaping the benefits of exercise, your mind will as well with the increase in dopamine and anabolic hormones coursing through your body.
4. Learn Something New
If one thing is for sure, then that is that there is great power in knowledge. Sometimes there is an underlying cause of stress that you may be overlooking. By taking the time to learn something new, you may stumble upon something that explains the root cause of some symptoms you might be experiencing. Podcasts and informational websites are at your disposal 24/7, so why not make use of them for your own betterment?
Learning a new skill or taking up a new hobby is also a great way to decompress. Exercising the mind while also getting the sense of achievement that comes from growing in one way or another is one of the best things you can do for yourself, and can surely take you away from your stress for at least a little while.
5. Spend Time with People
Stress has a way of making its victims spiral into a negative thought pattern that just keeps going and going to no avail. This can leave the individual feeling reclusive and too much of a ball of stress to be around people. Sometimes it may be difficult to enjoy the company of others when there’s a dark cloud of deadlines looming over you, but it’s important to make time for human interaction when possible. Other people means other perspectives, which can lead you to new conclusions or catharsis that you couldn’t have reached at home by yourself buried under work or a whole bag of potato chips.
6. Spend Time in Nature
No matter how advanced human civilization becomes, we are still just as much a part of the earth as it is a part of us. It’s not good for humans to be isolated from nature for too long because they can lose their sense of connection to the world around them, hence the lack of presence from which most humans suffer.
In order to maintain a balance of self, try getting back to basics with a bit of nature and simplicity. The adult human body is over 50% water, so try finding some peace and quiet near a calm lake or vast ocean and your inner-being will thank you. This will bring you closer to your natural, human self, untethered from all the worldly expectation and mindlessness.
7. Enjoy Some Fine Arts
All of the fine arts can offer a different form of peace and serenity. Many of those who compose music or paint can channel their feelings into their work and create beautiful masterpieces of it. Others may find solace in a novel or work of poetry that can convey something they’re experiencing but can’t put into words. There are endless options in the arts for either expressing or reflecting upon whatever feelings might be causing you stress. Invest some time in the arts, and you’ll be investing time in yourself as well.
While the list could probably go on even longer, these are some of the most current and accessible choices you have for reducing and preventing stress. The best way to keep stress to a minimum is through making a conscious effort each day to care for your mind as well as your body. If you can do that, then the chances of stress taking over will be far less than if you don’t.
Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash
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