Healthy B.P.M.

Stress is purely a mental problem. When the mind goes haywire, then the rest of your body will follow. The chances of you becoming emotionally unstable when you’re under the throes of stress increase. You’ll mostly like feel the repercussions in your body, like muscle cramps, headache, and anxiety and irritability. Get a hold of stress before it gets a hold of you.

Stress Is All In Your Mind

The initial effect of stress begins our minds. Our normal thought patterns are disrupted and often lead to confusion. This confusion eventually affects us emotionally and physically when left unchecked for a long period of time. Stress is oftentimes caused by work and financial matters. Friends and family members can also become a source of your problem, especially when they go out of their way to create conflicts. We’ve all been there and done that.

Since stress starts with the mind, then you need take the necessary steps to control it with your mind. I know you’ve been told countless times that relaxation plays a major role in stress management, and you know it makes perfect sense. Relaxation is often the prelude to every other techniques to help you cope with the stressors. Thoughts flow freer when we’re relaxed and we tend to not make mountains out of molehills. Weighing each thought that passes through our minds calmly and rationally, whether it’s a problem or just some stray thought from the day’s events is a much smoother process when you’re relaxed.

Five or six years ago this whole relax and free your mind process sounded like a bunch of you know what to me. I’d wake up every morning asking myself, “What am I going to worry about today?” How dufus was that? I had no idea how to relax and thought worrying was my lot in life. Well, a bout with panic/anxiety disorder, clinical depression and an armload of anti-depressants made me think differently. I never like to say anyone can accomplish something because I did it, all I ask is that you try.

Meditation To Help You Relax

One way to help your mind relax is through meditation. This helps you focus clearly on a problem without getting distracted. This focus can allow the right solution, and rid yourself of the stressor. Being tied up in emotional knots is never a solution.

You can find endless resources on how to meditate on the internet or find classes through your YMCA or adult enrichment programs. If time management is an issue don’t enroll in meditation class that takes around 2 to 3 hours per session. That’s a perfect way to work yourself into a frayed knot. You will be guided slowly by your mentor on the different exercises, both mental and physical, to help you relax. Learning on your own through DVD’s or CD’s may be the best option.

Starting With Meditation

There are different methods and tools you can use to start meditation on your own. You can listen to calm music or chant a mantra. Don’t forget about your library, take advantage of the free stuff they offer. If you really want to learn it you have tons of resources. Please tell me that you do have at least 15 minutes to go to the library. OK, I’ll make it even easier. Find the names of books, DVD’s etc., on the net then call the library to see if they have them. If not ask about an inter-library loan. They can always get it from another branch.

First find a quiet place to start your meditation exercise. If it’s your first time at it then make sure that you won’t get distracted with the noise in your surroundings. Lock your room or tell everyone that you don’t want to be disturbed. Find a place where you can sit down and relax. Don’t lie down since that will only put you to sleep before you can complete the exercise. Apply your own relaxation method. Concentrate on your breathing and let random thoughts fill your head. Observe each thought calmly as if you are watching a movie. If a stressful scene comes out, try your best not to focus on it. Keep doing this exercise until you arrive at a time when your mind becomes calm. Aiming for a blank mind right away will drive you up the wall. Just slow it down.

Next , focus on something that is stressing you. Don’t get emotionally attached to the image, only observe it in passing. You will eventually arrive at a solution to the problem without even noticing it. One more thing, chances are you aren’t going to master meditation overnight. Give it time, stick with it, and look forward to a more serene state of mind. That wasn’t to Pollyanna-ish was it?