Practicing Mindfulness to Combat Stress: What is means to be mindful
To be mindful is to be at peace with what it is. It means to be aware, and when we’re aware, we are present. Generally, the source of our stress stems from things that have either already happened or have yet to happen. Practicing mindfulness keeps us in the moment and allows us to focus on what’s right in front of us. When we do this, we open up the ability to build bonds with others and create strong interpersonal relationships. Most importantly, we give ourselves the opportunity to experience life and the bouts of happiness that it has to o er. Unless the current situation is stressful, don’t make it so by living in the future or the past. We already have enough on our plate as it is.
Breathing Techniques to Calm the Sympathetic Nervous System: Diaphragmatic Breathing
My favorite technique to teach my clients to cultivate peace and total relaxation is deep, diaphragmatic breathing. To those who may be unfamiliar, in simpler terms it’s abdominal breathing. It’s a very common practice amongst yoga enthusiasts and can quickly calm the body once initiated. Diaphragmatic breathing begins with slow deep breaths using your nostrils only. The goal is to breathe into your abdomen rather than into your chest as you would with mouth breathing. Place your hand onto your stomach; you should feel your stomach rising and falling with each breath. Some of the benefits of deep breathing exercises include a lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, relaxation, relieves muscle tension, and helps to clear the subconscious. When you’re completing this exercise, do it with your eyes closed while visualizing a serene scene that brings about peaceful feelings.
How To Develop Emotional Resilience
To be resilient is to be able to endure. It’s to have strength, to not be weighed down by the things that we can’t control. We develop emotional resilience when we sit with the discomfort that triggers us emotionally. The more we face our emotions, the better we can gain a handle on them. Each and every time we stand up for ourselves regardless of how much it hurts us, we are practicing the development of emotional resiliency. We can only develop strength when we decide to face the things that require us to remain strong within our journey. Emotional healing is a journey worth taking. When you face it now, you won’t have to repeat it later on.
5 Self-Care Techniques and Things You Can Do to Increase Self Esteem
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