Reduce Stress With Three Simple Solutions

In this day and age reducing stress is of top priority. There are so many distractions in the world to keep people busy that a great majority of people in the United States function at a heightened level of stress without realizing it. Many factors in life demand our attention and we function as if we have no choice but to respond to the demand. Is that really true, though? We all have choices, even if the choice is between two difficult options. I have figured out some key actions/ideas that have helped me to reduce my stress and decrease the speed of my life. I share them with the hope that they can help you too.

I detach from technology (phone/iPad/laptop) during evening hours. By detach, I mean I put the phone on silent and usually place all devices in my room, as most of my evening hours are spent in the family common areas. This removes the temptation to check my email and text messages every time an alert goes off. I am able to be present in whatever it is that I'm doing by focusing on that moment verses To Do lists, needs of others outside of my family, and so on. Detaching allows me to recall my thoughts and think about things that I don't have time to think about throughout the day, such as my dreams and aspirations. It allows me to reconnect with my family and myself, which usually brings me to a place of gratefulness. I find myself being grateful about the time spent together and/or being able to have time alone to myself. I am now able to stop every day to enjoy what is important and to appreciate that.

I stopped expecting myself to be super-woman. I expected things of myself that I would never expect of someone. I felt I should keep a spotless home, clothes washed, folded and put away at all times, home cooked meals nightly, raise a perfect child, all while working full-time, just to name a few. I learned that I'm not perfect and I am only human. Being human means that I can do my best but that my rest and rejuvenation are just as important as all of the mentioned items above. By accepting this about myself and embracing it, instead of pushing myself after an exhausting week (or day), I allow myself to stop and rest. Rest is okay; rest is actually required for us to be our best selves. No "thing" is as important as taking care of self.

I began to journal. I have never been a person who journals. I have always liked the concept but the execution rarely managed to play out well. In recent years I have learned the art of journaling. It is a release; a forum to express all unexpressed thoughts, ideas, worries and everything else that circles around in my head all day. I realized that having those thoughts playing on repeat continuously was keeping my brain in high gear and hardly allowing for peace. Journaling is an outlet, which moves thoughts from being a plane with no landing gear to a plane that's landed safely on the runway. Once I get my thoughts down on paper, there no longer seems to be a need to mull over them in my mind, which results in a quiet mind and peaceful sleep.

It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. However, it is so important find a way to slow down, be present and release. Implementing all ideas at one time may be too much of an immediate shift so pick one and do it consistently. Once you feel comfortable with your progress, move on to implement another one. I hope you find these concepts as helpful to you as they have been for me.

Marie enjoys writing and helping people and puts them together to create articles that help you. Connect with her at marie@writingpops.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Stanton

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7972978