7 Ways to Zap Stress and Relax

  1. Live in the present. If you find yourself obsessing about the future or regretting what has happened in the past, try grounding yourself in the here and now. This is a method of using your body to trigger emotional well-being. Start with a body part that touches the outside world, perhaps your feet. Notice how stable and solid the floor feels under your feet. What you’re doing is reminding yourself that life happens in the present - that you exist in the moment. Learn to experience the joy of living fully and entirely in the here and now.
  2. Listen to your body. It’s an excellent barometer of stress. Unfortunately, we tend to tune out its good advice. Once we begin to recognize the signals, we find that we may be squeezing muscles so tightly that we’re actually causing ourselves pain.
  3. Spend your energy wisely. Like everything else in life, energy is a limited resource. Think about this the next time you stand in a long line at the store, tapping your foot, and grinding your teeth. How much precious energy are you expending by being angry and impatient? Is it worth it?
  4. Slow down normal activity. People under stress eat, drive, move and speak at a rapid pace. In reality, this acceleration saves very little time; any limited gains are quickly wiped out by mistakes, tension and even illness. By slowing down you can actually calm the soul as well.
  5. Make a joyful noise. Music is one of the few activities that is processed simultaneously in separate areas of the brain. Evidence of this is sometimes seen in people who have suffered strokes. Though their ability to speak may have been damaged, they can sing without a problem. Turn the radio on and sing as you drive. If you are singing songs with a spiritual or positive message, you get a bonus.
  6. Consider what you eat. Diet strongly affects mood, physical stamina and, most of all, stress. Most people who are tense eat the wrong foods, don’t eat at all, or gobble their food in a rush. Instead, savor each mouthful to give your brain time to register the fact that your hunger has been satisfied.
  7. Sleep soundly. Do you feel that if you just had one good night’s sleep with your brain turned off that you could make it? There can be many reasons that the brain refuses to rest went the body sleeps, including physical problems or the mind simply being unable to slow down after running at high speed all day. Try meditating before sleeping.

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