What is stress?
Not all stress is harmful.
Some stress is beneficial (like physical stress from exercise).
But the chronic, mental, and emotional stress, now that is what we must avoid.
Nothing will make you sick, fat, and age your faster, like chronic stress.
I used to view feeling stressed out as something I couldn’t control, but now I see things differently.
Earlier this year, I downloaded a book by Wayne Dyer called “The Power of Intention.”
Wayne shares in his book a ten-step process for living a stress-free and tranquil life.
In Wayne Dyer’s words:
“Your thoughts activate stressful reactions in your body.
Stressful thoughts create resistance to the joy, happiness, and abundance that you desire to create in your life.
These thoughts include: I can’t, I’m too overworked, I worry, I’m afraid, I’m unworthy, It will never happen, I’m not smart enough, I’m too old (young), and so on.
These thoughts are like a program to resist being tranquil and stress-free, and they keep you from manifesting your desires.”
We must remember that stress doesn’t exist.
There are only stressful thoughts.
And since you are the controller of your thoughts, you can choose not to feel stress.
In any given moment, you can think – I choose to feel good.
Repeat it over and over and over until you believe it.
Harder than it sounds, right?
How about this – STOP THINKING.
95% of our days are entirely subconscious (auto-pilot).
A great example here is driving. We drive home without thinking about it too much.
When you want to stop thinking, focus on being present with where your feet are, the task at hand, and breathe into how being alive feels.
No matter what you are doing, drop into that moment.
You are more powerful than any thoughts of stress, fear, worry, anxiety, or depression.
Changing your thoughts isn’t easy by any means, but the more you practice, the better you can get at digging yourself out of the negative thought spiral.
I highly recommend checking out this book. I downloaded the audiobook, and I listen to each chapter as meditation because each chapter is roughly 15-20 minutes long. Every time I listen, I hear something new.
I hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!
Here is a link to the 10 step process and a link to his book.
Krista
PS. Many of my clients discover that their stress is relived when they know that their health, fitness, and nutrition are taken care of. When your health is on point, everything else falls into place.