Picture 1 Picture 2
What does ‘stressed’ look like to you? Is it picture one or picture two?
For most people it’s probably picture 2. Angry, red faced, hectic pace, lots to do, busy, rushing around etc.
But did you know you can be stressed and be as I am in picture 1 also?
Note my posture – slumped and compressed. I’m drinking a fizzy drink and I’m dipping into some processed food – my digestion, liver, kidneys and adrenals are going to be stressed or under pressure to expel these toxins out of my body, even more so if this is a regular occurrence.
I’m on the lap top doing one thing and listing to something else on my head phones – My mind is stressed having so much going on with multiple screens and stimuli.
My lungs and heart are stressed as my posture is compressing them.
My spine and nerves are all under pressure here if I were to stay in this posture for a prolonged period of time.
It might look like I’m resting but really I’m trying to switch off by switching on lots of different things!
So my point is you don’t have to be running around like a lunatic to be stressed. You could be stressing out your body and mind while you ‘relax’.
And of course our mental state has a huge part to play here. If eating some chocolate mindfully really helps you switch off then go for it! If watching some crap TV helps you unwind, go for it. But just be aware of what you’re doing when you’re doing it. And don’t scroll social media, reply to some texts and talk to someone else all while watching the TV. The body can’t handle so much stimulus. Try to do just one thing at a time. Give something your full attention so the body and mind can process it and recover. Then move onto the next thing.
Other common things that stress the body…are you ready? Unfortunately it’s lots of fun stuff!
Caffeine
Alcohol
Sugar
Processed foods
Lack of sleep
Poor posture
Multiple screens and never having quiet time.
When was the last time you did nothing? Literally did nothing. And I don’t mean did nothing and listen to a pod cast, not did nothing and watched TV while you were doing it. Did nothing and scrolled social media. I mean NOTHING!
The amount of people I see walking in the beautiful park near my house, the birds chirping the most beautiful chorus, leaves creating art in shadows on the pavement and they have their faces stuck in their phones, head phones in their ears listening to a podcast, probably telling them how to be happier and perhaps stressing them out more by adding just another thing to their to-do list.
Unplug. Switch off. And just be.
Here are some ways to de-stress the body and the mind:
