Endless to-dos, a multitude of deadlines, and the feeling of being pulled in every direction — stress can stretch you so thin you feel like you’re a balloon about to pop. A little stress can help you work better. It pushes you just enough to stay focused and maintain an edge. However, working Americans often experience stress at such high levels that it becomes incredibly unhealthy, it is crucial to learn how to better manage stress.
The key to managing stress is changing the way you think. Scientists estimate we have about two billion thoughts per day, but what we think about is often inconsistent. Neurologist Dr. Daniel Amen labels most of these thoughts as Automatic Negative Thoughts, or ANTs. He says by the time you get ready in the morning, you already have thousands of ANTs and you haven’t even left your house yet!
By changing your thoughts, you can change your perception while cutting stress. This is known as mindfulness. The fields of neuroscience, neurobiology and social psychology recognize mindfulness as a highly effective tool for dealing with stress and chronic pain, while improving feelings of well-being and quality of life.
Medical studies show that people who learn and practice mindfulness for three months have lower levels of cortisol, a hormone produced naturally in response to stress. Try these two easy methods for achieving mindfulness and see how you feel:
Body scan
Allow your attention to slowly and systematically move through your entire body. Focus on the toes and how they feel. Then slowly move up through your feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, and pelvic area. Move upward through your belly, chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Finish with your neck, face, and head. Pause at each body part, noting any tension or feeling of energy. Breathe deeply and relax.
Rest the mind
Sit up with your spine straight and body relaxed. Allow your mind to rest in the awareness. Count each breath up to 10, and then begin again. If you notice your mind is elsewhere or that you’ve stopped counting, begin again. Do this for five minutes a day and add more minutes as you gain focus.
