Discover 12 mindfulness practices that can help with stress.
Photo by Anna King
In this second instalment of a two-part series on STRESS, Anna King explains why it’s important to address stress, followed by a list of 12 health-promoting mindfulness practices to help you bring stress back under control.
Many people have become so accustomed to high levels of stress that they are in a perpetual reactive state, poised to deal with life’s challenges - in other words, constantly ‘stressed out’! Over time the body is put under extreme pressure and consequently signs of physical and emotional in-balance become apparent. Research is now suggesting that prolonged stress has a considerable impact upon the development of many illnesses, including: cardiovascular disease, cancer, endocrine and metabolic disease, skin disorders and infectious aliments of all kinds.
Stress may even produce the following physiological reactions:
Elevated blood pressure.
Accelerated heart-beat.
Inhibited digestion.
Increased muscular tension.
A compromised immune system (predisposing the body to infection and disease) and nutritional deficiencies.
Stress has a major effect on psychological difficulties, such as depression and anxiety.
It can be responsible for (or exacerbate) a lot of back problems, fatigue, chronic headaches, irritability, memory loss, lowered sexual drive, and insomnia.
It is important to make time to re-address your relationship with the things in life that drain your energy and lead to stress. Obviously, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to deal with, so integrating preventative tools into your daily life is always the preferred option (if you are experiencing serious health challenges related to stress it is important that you visit a healthcare professional).
There are many ways of dealing with everyday stress, ranging from relaxation exercises to going for a walk in the woods. Obviously, the preferred option is to remove the root cause of the problem, but if this is not possible - it’s crucial that you implement some simple practises into your life to help counter the negative side effects of stress, and enable the body to restore balance.
People intuitively know that they need to take ‘time out’ to reduce stress. Unfortunately, we have marginalised these experiences to the once a year holiday – or if lucky a Sunday morning nap in bed. The problem is - this isn’t enough - especially if you are experiencing daily work-life pressures, or suffering with chronic anxiety, fear or tension.
Mindful Meditation & Stress
Dee, enjoying a mindful yoga session with Anna at Glenlo Abbey, Galway.
Mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises and yoga (which I regard as mindful movement) are recognised as some of the most effective practices for reducing stress. They can calm emotions, focus the mind, soothe the nervous system and facilitate relaxation.
How to practice:
Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as: “awareness that emerges by paying attention, on purpose, non-judgementally to the present moment”.
While there are varying definitions, most people agree that mindfulness is about being fully ‘tuned in’ to the present moment - to what you are doing, to what is going on within yourself - and your surroundings. It’s about paying attention - to your attention - and releasing all distractions and going with the ‘flow’ of whatever you are focused on. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere, at anytime. Mindful walking in a park - is a good example, playing sport, cooking - indeed any activity can be practiced mindfully. One of the reasons mindfulness has become so popular is that it is generally accepted mindfulness can improve performance in most activities, because it reduces stress and focuses the mind and body.
Meditation is somewhat different than mindfulness. It is about setting time apart from your daily activities and concentrating on the contemplative activity of ‘becoming familiar’ with your ‘true nature’ (more needs to be said here, but thats for another blog).
More often than not - mindfulness (being aware) and meditation (contemplation) are practised together, resulting in mindful-meditation.
Try not to get hung up on definitions. Just learn some basic ways to avail of the powerful benefits of these healing arts. Try out a few different practices (preferably under the guidance of a qualified teacher - at least initially) until you find what works for you, and integrate what you have learnt into your daily life.
Practice, practice, practice - is the master key - and here’s a few to consider:
Witnessing: watch your thoughts come and go. Observe. Become aware that you are not your thoughts, but the thinker of your thoughts.
Watch and follow your breath, without changing it, or practice breath control - pranayama.
Yoga.
Formal meditation, such as Buddhism.
Single pointed focus, for instance gaze at candlelight. Keep your mind quiet by bringing attention to the focus of your gaze. Become completely familiar with what it is you are observing.
Mindful eating (improves our ability to digest food and assimilate nutrients).
Listen to music or natural sounds, such as the ocean, birds or falling rain. Experience the ‘essence’ of the sounds without attachment.
Activities such as walking or cooking. Bring your undivided attention into the quality of each action. This is known as being present in the moment. Spend time in nature and observe your surroundings.
Use a mantra, or sing a song / chant or prayer. The affect of toning from singing will massage your Vagus Nerve, thus stimulating the relaxation response in your body.
Body scans, as used in yoga.
Yoga Nidra.
Visualisation. People experiencing anxiety often find it difficult to concentrate on more formal meditation techniques. Creative visualisation may be easier, as it can help still the mind.
In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived. How well we have loved. How well we have learned to let go.
— Jack Kornfield
Apart from mindful meditation, other ways of countering the negative side effects of stress include: regular vigorous exercise, introducing a healthy diet, having some kind of body work / massage therapy and counselling.
Exploring more vitality-enhancing lifestyle options (including managing technology), and compassion for self and others (building positive relationships) can really help. Some ‘stressed out’ people find relief from simply making more time in their lives for quality time with family, partner or friends.
Above all else, laughter will dissipate stress and elevate mood surprisingly quickly!
That said, it is important to realise that managing stress can sometimes be quite complex, especially if it has built up over a long period of time, and become a default state of being. This kind of stress may need extra support and guidance from a qualified practitioner.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, or need further guidance. Anna xx
Always seek advice from a health care professional if you are concerned about your mental health and stress levels.