Daily rituals to reduce stress
Reduce stress and get off to a positive start in the New Year by introducing new daily rituals. Whether you own your own business, are managing a team of people, work in pressured environments like our schools and healthcare; are a single parent or stay at home mum; it really does’t matter here. Stress can only be measured by what you as an individual are dealing with, and what effect stress is having on your mental, physical and emotional health.
Two main causes of stress: work and time
In a survey* I ran in December 2015 40 per cent of respondents said they had experienced stress however were able to manage it now; and 34 per cent said yes they do get stressed and anxious. In causes of stress, 43 per cent said stress was caused by work and over 70 per cent said their stress was caused by not having enough time.
I’m not sure I was surprised by these results, however what happens next is more important; learning ways to reduce stress and implementing them into every day life.
Daily Rituals to Reduce Stress
Some of these daily rituals to reduce stress you will heard of or seen before, what makes the difference is doing them.
Breathing
Learning how to breathe more effectively is like putting the right fuel in your car. You want the body to work at its best, so give it the balance of consciously focusing on breathing right down to behind your belly button. Place your hand on your stomach and feel in rise with your in breath and count to five, and then notice as you exhale count for a further five and feel your stomach lower. It’s this level of focus which places you in a position of calm and allows you to refocus.
Take Notice of Your Space
Your car, your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, shoe cupboard, desk, offices; anywhere you spend time in is your space. Ideally less is more. Clear out anything which is no longer a representation or supporter of who you are today. When your environment is clean, clear and organised your energy is focused on now, not on the clutter.
Daydream
Find time to daydream, in the shower, during lunch, at the gym or while walking the dog. Everyone can create at least 10 minutes in their day to daydream. To allow your mind to process, travel and inspire you. While you daydream you are also creating space for your body and mind to relax and balance the stress hormones in your body. Running on adrenaline is great when you need to get out of danger or win a race; our bodies also need time to repair and heal, and they can only do this when they are safe and relaxed.
Write it Down
Making a mental note of things to do usually adds on to the other list you have. Write down (with pen and paper) a list of what you need to do this month, then a list of week ahead priorities, and then create a daily ritual of writing down your priority tasks for the day ahead. This ritual will help you manage your time. Soon you will notice the extra time you gain back from not having to make decisions about what to do next.
Reduce Stress Starting Now
These are just some rituals to reduce stress daily. They also contribute to increasing your creativity, give you back your valuable time and create more positive environments and supportive energy. Just by starting one or two of these rituals and practicing daily you will start to see and experience reduced stress.