STRESS LESS
Stress is an inevitable part of life. When the total amount of stress you experience exceeds your ability to cope with it, stress wreaks havoc on your health. Stress management can be a difficult change to make. With small tweaks and adjustments, you can give yourself the time you need to cope and heal from the damage stress does to our bodies and minds.
Some ways to minimize the impact of stress include:
Reduction in exposure to physiological or psychological stress
Mitigate the harmful effects of the stress you can’t avoid
Breathing techniques for handling stress daily
Adopt strategies for stress management
Bodies will provide you with tools and resources to reduce the amount of stress you experience, assist you in changing thought patterns and perceptions of stress, find options for stress management that work for you and your life, and of course, help you make SLEEP a priority. Movement, light exposure, nutrition, stimulant consumption, meditation practice, outdoor time and play (yes, PLAY!) all play an important role in stress management. We will give you what you need to make small changes that will give your stress load a big overhaul.
TRUTH: I used to hold on to my stress so hard until I had to eat a whole pie to let that ish go. My body was like a box of rocks. I found meditation and it moved the needle for me. I want to walk with you through learning how to find more zen in your life.
Tips for Making Life Easier
One of the authors and spiritual guides I’ve connected with is Gabby Bernstein. A friend and I recently completed 21 days of meditation with her guidance and I’m constantly learning more about meditation and prayer. I LOVE it. Don’t read that and think it’s easy. It can be a struggle oftentimes, and it requires discipline. But I love opening my heart to a deeper connection with God. Learning to live in the flow, stop resisting, and being open to what God wants for my life is making my life 1. More exciting 2. More fun! 3. EASIER. Ahhhhhh! Life is hard sometimes, let’s explore ways to make it easier!
Wholehearted Living
This work of wholehearted living is a never-ending process. You can work hard to get to the point where, deep in your core, you have learned to care significantly less what people think about you, and then six months later pick up that habit again as if you’d never done the work to stop. Growing into this version of a wholehearted-living human, who is letting go of what does not serve us, while cultivating the traits that lead us to deeper fulfillment, is a lifetime process.
The POWER of ROUTINE
A solid routine fosters a well-worn groove for one's mental energies and helps stave off the tyranny of moods. Having a routine can be helpful in times of unpredictability, uncertainty, and stress. Setting a daily routine creates structure, helps us reach our goals and reduces procrastination. Entrepreneur.com says, “The real power in routines is the way they can help us build momentum, break bad habits, prioritize our lives and make us more efficient.”
Giving
My sweet husband has been preaching a series of sermons around a book written by the former CEO of World Vision, Richard Stearns, called “A Hole in Our Gospel.” The idea behind the book is that we should not be so focused on getting to heaven, but rather by bringing heaven to earth. And how do we do that? It’s by serving others. It’s by giving and treating people the way we would want them to treat us.
Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to serve others. Can we commit decision by decision to this heartfelt approach to life?
