When I Google the words “stress management” I get 883 million results! With all that information out there, you’d think we’d have our stressors under control, done, over with, nada, kapoot! However, the exact opposite is true. I don’t have to tell you how stressed we are. Us humans have hit the high-water mark when it comes to stress in North America. Ironically, too much information on how we can reduce our stress causes stress…so vicious circle here we come!
Think minimally when it comes to managing stress…
We know that too many choices are a bad thing. Prince Ghuman, minimalist and founder of 15Centre states: “When it comes to making decisions, our brain functions in two modes. One mode is largely automatic. It makes reactive decisions based on intuition. The second mode is deliberate, it makes rational, analytical decisions”.Making decisions takes energy and we only have so much before we end up feeling anxious and stressed. Couple that with the amount of information that comes to us every minute of the day (if we allow it to) and we’re soooo done.
That’s why you gotta keep it simple:
Music. Meditation. Movement.
Every Day
Music: Listen to your favourite tune with intention. What energizes you? What creates a strong emotion in you? What makes you happy or sad? (sad is ok). Your brain on music is a beautiful thing. It’s a calmer of nerves, a mover of our cellular structure, an elixir for the soul and a reducer of negative, ruminating thoughts. Music has the power to move you emotionally. My dear friend and Music Therapist Jennifer Buchanan and her team of music therapists visit hospitals every day to deliver the healing power of music. What to kick the benefits of music up a notch? Play an instrument! Sing a song! My alter-ego Lana Miranda does both – uplifting audiences through the magic of music. Her mantra “you can never be sad when you’re playing the ukulele” is true!
Meditation: Meditation provides the window to the realyou. Meditation widens and awakens you to the space between stimulus and response, providing an opportunity to notice and change your undesired response to one you have consciously chosen. This new observation gives you the power to change anything in your life that you want change. Changing a response pattern can be life altering. One small change has a ripple effect…I know this from experience! (This is just one of the benefits of meditation but wanted to emphasize this one because it has made a huge positive change in my life.) Check out my favourite free meditation podcast at tarabroch.com. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Carve out 15 minutes every day. It takes time and patience, but I promise you, good things will happen.
Movement: Move your body! Walk, run, golf, bowl, stretch, swim, just do something. If you can get out to a park or to the forest even better. “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks” – John Muir. Our bodies are meant to move. Movement energizes you, keeps your body toned and provides a different perspective on a problem, a difficult situation…..it’s a “reframer”. Movement is a triple threat! It restores mentally, physically and creatively.
Lana is founder of her company You Unlimited specializing in stress management and offers uncomplicated solutions to our complicated lives. Are you practicing Safe Stress?
Lana Miranda is Lana’s alter-ego and is positivity personified through hilarious antics and musical stylings . Visit Lana’s website at www.safestress.ca