25 Things You Can Do To Alleviate Stress
I am about to make a bold statement…stress is the main and only cause of all illnesses! Everything we experience in our physical world is simply a projection of what we are allowing to run through our minds. Our thoughts create our reality. If your thoughts are “sick,” you will be sick.
We all know people who are wonderful individuals who are very positive and have great lives but still get ill. How can this be? Our conscious mind may be positive, but our subconscious mind runs 90% of our behaviors. We are not always aware what sits in that deep recess of the mind. One of the ways God gets our attention, if all else fails, is through our physical body. A physical ailment will stop you in your tracks every time and cause you to question your life, your thinking and your actions.
If you do nothing else for yourself in this lifetime, do this: learn how to manage stress in your life. Contrary to what you may now believe, stress is not caused by your ex, your boss, lack of money, lack of sex, having no job, etc. Stress is caused by your perception of those events in your life. Change your perception and you change the “movie.”
Here are 25 things off the top of my head I have done in the past to alleviate stress. Feel free to leave comments and add to the list. Let’s all help each other!
- Close your eyes and take 3 deep diaphragmatic breaths (push your stomach out when you inhale) – breath always brings you directly back to your soul.
- Move your body – walk, bike, run, stretch, jump on a trampoline, etc.
- Sing a song (out loud – hey, if I can do it with my voice, so can you!)
- Smile – you actually use more muscles to frown than to smile.
- Listen to your favorite song or some relaxing music.
- Eat more greens (spinach, kale, and arugula) – greens are very grounding and balancing.
- Meditate or pray – worry is a form of prayer, so create thoughts that are more of what you want to see in your life, not what you are worried may happen.
- Sleep – this is not overrated! We need sleep to recharge and we also get much of our spiritual guidance through our sleeping dreams.
- Close your eyes and visualize being in your favorite place – feel the joy of being there.
- Go out in nature – nature is a natural balancer of energy.
- Get away from your source of stress whether it is a person, place or thing.
- Light a candle – light is healing and is often used to clear out and protect energy.
- Take a bath – essential oils such as lavender are great!
- Peel an orange and smell the rind – citrus smells are a great stress reliever.
- Choose fruit instead of a sugary treat – sugar tends to aggravate stress and is thought to be a cause of depression.
- Clean something – it is truly cathartic.
- Lie down, spread your arms and legs out and just breathe for 10 minutes.
- Get near running water – the sound is very soothing and healing. Wash your hands up to your elbows. Toxins collect in the forearms.
- Garden – pick some fresh flowers, weed, or plant something new in your garden.
- Pet your cat or dog. Pets actually absorb negative energy to protect us.
- Organize yourself (a drawer, desk, etc.) – feeling organized makes you feel less stressed.
- Drink a glass of water – water is cleansing and purifying to the soul and to your physical body.
- Drink a cup of hot tea – peppermint and chamomile are the best.
- Avoid gossip and negative people – walk away, change the subject of conversation, avoid certain places, etc.
- Remember that you are in control of you. 80% of the thoughts you have on a daily basis are lies that come from your past conditioning. Always question your thoughts. You cannot believe everything you think.
“Faith is the power to stand up to the madness and chaos of the physical world while holding the position that nothing external has any authority over what heaven has in mind for you.“ ~Caroline Myss
Desserts…desert…I always get confused! Lol!
Chris
Chris Sopa is founder and owner of Chris Sopa International, Inc. You can learn more about her at www.ChrisSopa.com. Find her at Facebook.com/ChrisSopaInternational, Twitter @ChrisSopa, LinkedIn, and Google+.
