Simple Steps to Letting Go of Stress

The world is in chaos at the moment and I'm sure the majority of us have some type of stress to deal with because of this COVID-19 pandemic. But even without the coronavirus outbreak, many deals with stress on a daily basis. It's kind of part of adulthood. Whether you have a family crisis, work pressures, relationship, Los Angeles traffic, finances, health, mental, and the list goes on! It is a big part of our lives that can't be ignored.

Stress can be very dangerous as it makes people less happy, closes your heart in relationships, unfocused, and physically it shuts our bodies down. The cortisol released in our bodies when stress occurs is very damaging to our mental and physical health.

If you are constantly stressed out, then your anxiety levels must be pretty high as well.

Good thing is, stress can be dealt with just like an overweight person can slim down. But it takes work, dedication, and really good habits.

So here are a few tricks to deal with stress:

Identify your struggle

Think about what is stressing you out, why do you get stressed, have anxiety or overwhelmed?

The reason is that something is not going the way you want it or anticipate. You feel things are out of control, and you're helpless because you aren't able to correct the course. Unfortunately, that is how the world is and part of being an adult. But the stress doesn't come from the world being in chaos, it comes from your mindset because our desired outcome is different than what is happening. Everyone has their own ideals, and most of us are very attached to these ideals. The attachment and gap of unable to attain cause us stress. What makes us unhappy is our minds perceive one thing, but reality shows us it's not.

The good news is that if you can train your mind to let go of these attachments and learn appreciation. The world doesn't need to change, your problems don't need to change, you just re-adjust your course to a winning strategy.

So dig deep down and think of all the problems that are causing you stress and anxiety. Then let your mind free. It may take some time, but keep working on it till you are free.

Methods to release stress

There are effective stress management methods to deal with stress with a combination of good habits, and proper thought patterns to ease the stress you are encountering in life. Over time, you will develop the ability and resilience to cope with stress face much better.

When stress occurs, be present with the feeling. Realize that the physical feeling is caused by your mind. Take a deep breath, calm your mind down, and either let that feeling go or accept that it's part of you.

If time allows, practicing 15 minutes of meditation can really help. I've personally used the Headspace app, which is a guided meditation. In 2011, Harvard researchers found that meditation can help increase the density of gray matter in the hippocampus of our brains. That part of the brain is associated with the ability of learning, self-awareness, compassion, memory, and introspection.

Through the mental restructuring of our brains can improve our mental health and sharpen our minds.

The most exciting part is this transformation can be done in only 8 weeks! This number came from an actual study group. So it is quite beneficial if you can practice meditation daily. A very popular practice that has been around for centuries that is often combined with meditation is crystal healing benefits. Regardless if you believing in the crystals altering your internal energy, they are good fidget items when you are meditating.

Another method is journal therapy. Start with one entry a week, or it can even be sporadic journaling until your habits kick in. One of the most effective ways to reduce stress with writing is to journal about the stressful events that have happened to you, and how you feel about it, what you think about it; just do what feels right.

And this one is my favorite when dealing with stress, sleep. Your mind is going wild right now, it is difficult to think straight or make a rational decision to take care of the problem. I like to take a quick nap, recharge, freshen up, and then tackle the problem. Friends used to laugh at me for this, but it is actually a thing! Our body is in a fight or flight response when stress happens, which then releases certain neurochemicals in the body such as adrenaline and cortisol that drains our energy.

Accept the situation and practice being grateful. To let go, it usually involves forgiveness, acceptance, and appreciation. Look at all that has happened and find the good. Did it make you laugh, cry, anger, or has it helped you learn and grow? It seemed much easier as children to find that inner strength and embrace life's challenges and changes. Or did we become lazier in accepting growth and embraced our problems more?

Realize that not everything in life is meant to be modified or go perfectly the way you want. It's those bumps in the road that make us who we are. Live, learn and let go so you don't waste energy on that bad experience. Focus on what you can make better, how you can bring more happiness to yourself and the people around you. Make the world your playground as we did when we were children. If you can see on my Instagram page, that is my motto in life.

It is your life, your story, and you are the writer. If you can motivate yourself to seek ways to improve your life, over time you will be happier. Be at peace with yourself. Practice methods of appreciation and gratitude. Get a good night's rest. Eat the right foods and exercise so you are physically well. Dress the way that makes you feel good.

All these little things will add up and eventually shape you to become a happier person. Don't put yourself in other people's shoes and think that's the happiness you want. That won't make you happy.

Make your own story. What is the ideal narrative you want for your life?

And it helps to have positive friends and family to support you. I would stay away from the negative ones. They can be a real energy drainer.

Surrender any obsessive attachment to particular thoughts, outcomes, situations, or people. Free your mind, and wake up every day with the intention to be the best YOU. Don't expect life to be a certain way. You want to have goals, dreams, and aspirations, but don't let it become an obsession that won't make you happy. Ultimately, those goals and dreams are to bring you happiness, not stress, and anxiety.

I hope you will share good tips that benefit others. I'm always opened to new ideas and practice new methods that improve our minds and body.