De-stress

Meditation centres are lovely, havens with a unique atmosphere... but life is hard work. There’s a lot of stress.

To de-stress: think positively. “I am peaceful”.

Think angry thoughts and feel peaceful! - That’s not going to happen. You say, “I’m angry” and you start to feel it and the tension starts to build-up. Similarly think: “I am peaceful”, “I am calm” and you start to feel it.

To de-stress: slow the speed of your thoughts

We create thoughts at such a fast speed and they spin around in our mind, like washing in a washing machine. If you can’t slow down your thoughts, then think calm thoughts at a fast speed. It’s a guaranteed technique.

To de-stress: become aware

Before stress comes, there’s tension. So, we need to be introverted. Observe yourself and your thoughts and catch the tension as it starts to build up.

Write down what gives you stress- we’re all unique and individual, so our lists will be different.

To de-stress: accept responsibility

Stop blaming external things as the causes for your stress. When we put blame on external things we are not in control.

To de-stress: let go

Ego gives you stress. When you’re worried about your appearance – that’s ego. Desires give you stress. I want….. When we get what we want, we want something different. Attachment gives stress. Holding onto my car, my job, my opinions, ideas, views…..

To de-stress: learn to switch on and off.

Think of your mind to be like a TV. Switch off the TV (your mind) at night time and switch it on again in the morning. If we don’t switch off at night time then we must take our TV (your life) with us to bed. Shut down before going to sleep. You have been interacting with the world for 16 hours. Tell yourself: I’m switching off the world. In physical yoga, they do a corpse posture. So, in your mind, release the day: I’m going.

To de-stress: make time for you.

Walking in the park, exercise, massage – it all works, but not for all time. To attain this for all time you need to go into your core:
Stand back from the world.
Switch off your mind from the world.
Create positive thoughts.
Use the mantra that will fill your mind with power - Om Shanti.
Create the thought: Om – I am. Shanti – Peace.
Create the thought: I am peace.
Wait for a few moments.
Create a feeling of peace.
Breathe.
Step away.
Do this exercise for 1 minute today and increase it to 2 minutes tomorrow. You’ll start to feel the peace. Then take that peace with you into the day.

During the day- bring the peace into your actions. Negativity then automatically reduces within your mind because you’re increasing the positive thoughts.

To de-stress: stay calm

When other's have stressful habits, consider it a chance for you to practice staying calm, a gift, a test. Think: I am peaceful.

You know what they’re like – know it and accept it, then take a moment to build up your inner strength and then face them.

Usually we see someone’s stressful habits and what do we do-we think about them and get annoyed about them and then end up feeling stressed about them. What happens next? We then find we bring that person’s annoying habit into your own actions. Before you bring something that annoys you into action - stop for 10 seconds.

To de-stress: be prepared.

Most things in the day are not a surprise. Most of the time we know what we will have to deal with- so prepare yourself.

To de-stress: see what positive effect you have on others

When you remain de-stressed, see what effect you have on others. When I change, everything else around me changes.

Simple solution: Control your thinking and direct it in a positive way. Say: Om Shanti and then your stress will start disappearing.