Articles

GET RID OF STRESS: DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

MIND OVER MATTER

"The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of hell, and a hell of heaven."

— John Milton

THE STRESS OF worry can lead to a downward spiral. We become stressed because we are worried, and then even more worried because we are stressed.

Get the picture?

Worrying can be the result of sudden problems which may arise.

Or constant nagging factors that disturb.

Creating mental barriers can be an effective means of controlling worry. When you feel anxious, think immediately of a baby's smile or something funny.

This may seem simple or silly, but at any one time we can only hold one thought in our mind.

By concentrating on a non-threatening subject we deflect our thoughts from the cause of anxiety.

Once you feel calmer, go off and do something which is not only enjoyable but also requires your full concentration.

Return to the problem only when you feel totally at peace.

Put the cause in perspective now.

Dreamy destinations

"Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the ultimate result of your life."

— Grenville Kleiser

VISUALISATION IS A potent method of stress reduction, especially when combined with physical relaxation methods such as deep breathing.

Some environments can be very relaxing, while others can be intensely stressful. The principle behind the use of imagery in stress reduction, is that you can use your imagination to recreate a place or scene that is very relaxing.

Imagine a scene, place or event that you remember as safe, peaceful, restful, beautiful and happy. You can bring all your senses into the image, with the sounds of running water, the smell of cut grass, the taste of cool spring water, the warmth of the sun...

Use the imagined place as a retreat from stress and pressure.

Meditation mantras

"Still the bubbling mind; herein lies freedom and bliss eternal."

     Swami Sivananda

THE IDEA OF meditation is to focus your thoughts on one relaxing thing for a sustained period of time.

This rests your mind by diverting it from thinking about the problems that have caused stress.

It gives your body time to relax and recuperate.

The essence of meditation is to quieten your thoughts by focussing completely on just one thing - object, breath, sound or imagery.

Unlike hypnosis, which is more of a passive experience, meditation is an active process that seeks to exclude outside thoughts by concentrating on the subject of the meditation.

Relax your body. Get into a position that you can comfortably sustain for a period of time. If you are supple enough, then the lotus position may be appropriate. Otherwise, just sit in a comfortable chair, or lie down.

Concentrate on breathing slowly. You could visualise health and relaxation flowing into your body when you inhale, and stress or pain flowing out when you exhale.

Focus on a sound. It could be 'Om'. Some prefer soft instrumental music. Yet others, different chants. You will find that as you practise meditation, your attention span will improve.

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