The majority of our stress comes from things happening outside of our control. However, we can manage how we react to the stress. Check out these “quick” stress reducing activities:
- The Black bag – Hang with me here…it might feel funky, but it works. Imagine you have a black velvet bag that closes with a draw string. Open the bag and start placing all the things that are causing you stress in that bag. Really visualize placing them in the bag. When everything is in there. Pull the bag shut. Pull it tight. Then in your mind, place the bag out of sight or out of reach. Maybe it’s the garage, outside, or in another room. Leave it there for as long as you’d like. When you are ready, you can go retrieve it. No worries – everything you put in it is still there. But, for a few moments you can be free of them.
- Set a date in the near future for something you can look forward to. Maybe it’s a date with your spouse, an afternoon off of work, a mini-vacation weekend, or deer hunting. Having something fun to look forward to makes stressful days a little easier.
- Stop doing what you are doing right now and do something you love. Read. Take a walk. Sing. Dance. Talk to a friend. You choose.
- Put it on paper. There is something about taking all those worries and concerns that are spinning around in your head and getting them on paper that lessens stress. Sometimes it’s a matter of just getting it out of your head. Sometimes in the process of writing, you either come up with a solution or you realize you are obsessing over something that you can let go. All I know is tit works.
- Encourage one other person today. When you encourage another, you are lessening their stress levels. It feels good helping someone else and when you feel good, you feel less stress.
- Stop watching the news or at least, keep it minimal.
- Meditate or pray. Even just 1 minute can make a difference. Of course, you might need to do this several times an hour , but do it anyway.