How To Bring Mindfulness To Our Stress

by | Jul 16, 2018 | Uncategorized

“Up to 90 percent of the doctor visits in the USA may be triggered by a stress-related illness”, say the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Upon reading this research I found it appropriate to share some thoughts and a little exercise.
Stress…we all have it, it is a part of our earthly experience. Stress is what you feel when the reality of “what is” is different from what you think it should be.
The word “should” is the main culprit and bringing more mindfulness to our “shoulds” is the first step toward stress management.
The next time you are feeling the emotion of stress pause for a moment, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself a few questions:

  • What is the true reality in this moment?
  • What is the “should” I am believing right now?
  • Where did this “should” come from?
  • Is this someone else’s “should” or rule on how life is?
  • Does this should or rule still work today, in this moment, as life has evolved?
  • Do I want to give myself permission to create my own rules to live by?

As time goes by everything changes but unfortunately our minds are often caught in the time warp, of our younger selves. When we bring some awareness to the reality of the situation in real time it can give you some relief.
It is difficult to eliminate all stress but when you choose to look at your life as if it truly belongs to you, you may find you can alleviate some of the harmful and unnecessary stress that our minds can trick us into feeling.