Life's busy enough - who has time to add stress-relieving exercises?! Even when we know that they'd probably be good for us, we often tell ourselves to put off those time-consuming techniques like meditation. We say "oh, I'll get to it once I'm done this work." But the work would go so much easier if we weren't so stressed.... So here are a few key tricks that only take a second. So... quickly... look these over... and then try them out. They might help!
1. Look at a photo of a loved one. Many of us have photos of our loved ones around - on our desks, as the wallpaper on our phones or computers - but we rarely take the time to actually look at them, and engage how we feel about those people. That glimpse of love can go a long way!
2. Touch something soft. Those stress balls that you can squeeze have something going for them other than the obvious aggression-relieving properties: they're soft. Touching something delicate can engage you in a way that will lower your stress levels immediately, akin to petting a puppy or settling into clean linen sheets. Let your senses drift away to something soft... even for just a second.
3. Go to your happy place. If you don't have one already, pick a place in your mind that you envision as the most relaxing place... ever. This is likely a place that you remember from childhood, or a vacation you took once. And if you're able to, engage the memory while touching something soft, and picturing your loved ones with you. The three tricks together can work wonders!
Most of all, make sure that you eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest. If stress is too much for you too often, try adding some natural medicine like acupuncture or massage therapy to help ease your life.
By Richard Lobbenberg, Acupuncturist and TCM Practitioner
