Stress is your body’s natural response to any challenge or change in your life. As human beings, stress is part and parcel of our lives because every day, we face new challenges that need to be solved. Learning how to manage stress is an important life skill most people need to acquire to lead a happier and more fulfilling life. Below, we’ll understand stress symptoms further and break down the potential causes of stress.
Learn how meditation can be your ultimate tool for stress management. Explore a step-by-step guide to stress relief by SoulSensei.
Explore this Theta meditation for deep relaxation with Dr.Ddevika on SoulSensei.
Potential Reasons Why You’re Stressed
The first step in learning how to manage stress is to understand stress. You can do that by understanding the stress symptoms. They include a faster heartbeat, increased blood pressure, sweating and insomnia, among others. Once you’ve identified that you’re stressed, it’s important to figure out why you’re stressed and what’s triggering you. Some potential causes of stress could be.
1. Work-Related
You could be stressed about meeting a deadline or overwhelmed by a big project.
2. Relationships
Having conflicts in your marriage or with your family and friends can lead to stress.
3. Financial
Struggling to make ends meet or paying bills at the end of the month can be a potential stressor.
4. Health Concerns
If you or your loved one is going through an illness, it can put great mental and physical stress on your body.
5. Trauma
Being witness to a traumatic event or experiencing a crime can be extremely stressful.
6. Life Changes
Major shifts in your life like moving houses or having a baby can be stressful even if we may not realise it.
7. Everyday Events
Sometimes, doing basic chores like dropping your child off at school or managing a house can be stressful, too.
What’s worth noting is that stress can come from good and bad life challenges, so not all stress is bad for you. Once you learn how to manage stress, you can lead your life more successfully and peacefully.
Learn how to manage and deal with life’s expectations in this short session with Nityanand Charan Das.
Step-by-Step Guide to Manage Stress with Meditation
Meditation for stress and anxiety is one of the most effective ways to deal with these situations. Practices such as mindfulness meditation that calm our nervous system down can have a significant impact on alleviating stress levels. There are many types of meditation like guided meditation, mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, Theta meditation and so on. No matter what practice you choose, here are a few common steps you can take to learn how to manage stress by employing meditation:
Step 1: Find A Quiet Spot
Whether you’re in the office or at home, find a spot where you won’t be disturbed for the next few minutes and you can be comfortable in.
Step 2: Assume A Comfortable Position
You can meditate sitting or sleeping, whatever is more comfortable and relaxing for you. Make sure that, no matter what posture you pick, you can hold it till the end of the practice.
Step 3: Close Your Eyes
Gently shut your eyelids and bring your attention inwards. Doing so will help you keep the distractions away and focus better.
Step 4: Take A Deep Breath
Deep breathing is proven to slow down your mind and relax your nervous system. At this step, you can tailor your meditation practice. For example, if you’re doing mindfulness meditation, you can take a deep breath and then either keep concentrating on your breath or a sound or object near you. You can even do a body scan or recite a mantra at this stage.
Try this breathing technique for stress relief with Ami Patel.
Step 5: Practice Non-Judgement
It is natural for your thoughts to wander, no matter what meditation practice you choose. The key is to acknowledge your thoughts without judgment and then return to your practice.
Step 6: Gently Open Eyes
If you’re a beginner, start small with your meditation practice. Do the above steps for five minutes and gradually increase the time. Once you feel calm and relaxed enough, you can gently open your eyes and prepare for the tasks ahead.
Build a Daily Meditation Practice
When learning how to manage stress with meditation, consistency is key. If you meditate daily, you’ll see positive changes in your mental and physical well-being, like heightened creativity, deeper sleep, increased self-awareness, and lower stress and anxiety. So, the question arises, how to do mindfulness meditation every day? Here are some tips that will help you make meditation a daily practice.
1. Start Small
Carve out five minutes every morning or before going to bed to meditate and make it part of your routine.
2. Use Technology
You can either set a reminder or timer on your phone to motivate you to meditate.
3. Make it Part of Your Chores
Do a walking meditation or meditate while waiting for a friend at a coffee shop. That’s the beauty of meditation, you can do it anywhere!
4. Try Guided Meditation
If you’re not sure where to start, guided meditation is the best way to begin. You simply have to listen and follow.
5. Pair it Up
Combine your meditation practice with a mantra or an affirmation you chant every day.
Learn how to build a daily routine for mindfulness with Dr.Ddevika in this short session.
Meditation is the answer to the question many of us ask ourselves every day – how to manage stress? Stress is a part of our everyday lives and is our body’s natural response to life’s challenges. Meditation can help reduce stress by relaxing our nervous system and lowering the cortisol levels in our body. There are many types of meditation like Theta meditation, mantra meditation, guided meditation and so on. For meditation to work, consistency is key. You can make it part of your daily practice by using technology, starting small and pairing it up with daily chores. Explore guided meditations and more with experts on SoulSensei.
Sources
- Mindful – How to manage stress with mindfulness and meditation.
- Mayo Clinic – Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress.
