Deal with Stress Today » mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness Meditation Techniques for Handling Stress – Part #3

donnam — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:00:30 +0000

As I described in Part 1, there is much more going on with us when we experience stress than the obvious event and resulting distress reaction that we observe. We all think thoughts about the events we experience and those thoughts are determined largely by conditioning and beliefs that we acquire over time. The thoughts we think then trigger our emotional reaction or emotional state. Part 2 of this series offered a Mindfulness Meditation Technique to manage our thoughts.

Unless you have gained some skill at Mindfulness, you may not know immediately what thoughts you are thinking. To access your thought process it is often more useful to start with noticing your feelings.

When you are aware of feeling badly or stressed, take a moment to reflect on what you have been thinking about. Chances are you have just had a series of distressing thoughts that have triggered negative feelings. Feelings of fear, frustration, tension, overwhelm, panic, annoyance, apathy, and so on are triggered by your thoughts that define what the event means to you. Once you identify the thoughts that define the situation for you, you can apply Technique #2 to let those thoughts go and replace them with neutral or more positive outlook.

What if you are not aware of all the feelings you have about the situation? This may be the case if you aren’t comfortable experiencing and expressing feelings. Many people react to stress by pushing down or numbing out their feelings believing that this will relieve stress. This couldn’t be further from the truth!

Feelings cannot be eliminated, they can only be delayed! Your emotions are an important part of your stress-handling mechanism. Your emotions, and any physical sensations are your body’s reactions to your thoughts. Entertain thoughts or a belief you are under attack – your body will react with feelings of fear – whether the threat is real or not.

To use your emotions to identify when you are having negative thoughts about an event, you must sharpen your awareness and listen! Ironically, listening to your body and acknowledging emotions can give immediate relief all by itself. Awareness of your emotional state is the first step to shifting your mind set.

To deal with stress effectively, get busy reflecting on your body sensations, feelings and the thoughts that are triggering those sensations Meditation Technique #2). The adage, “Don’t just do something, stand there!” applies here. Rather than trying to change what you can’t control in your environment, change what you can control – your perspective on the situation.

Mindfulness Meditation Technique #3:

Do this often. Focus on your body and notice any sensations. By sensations I mean where in your body you feel tension, stress, or pain.

Then focus on noticing your sensations. When I say noticing I also mean observing it and accepting it.

Often when we notice a tension or ache we generally are bothered that it is there. Therefore we tend to reject it or resist it. If we resist it, it will continue. What we resist…persists. Here is a good tip: accept whatever you feel as it is.

Our bodies are talking to us through feelings and sensations. By acknowledging that you accept that the pain, or tension is there, it will have permission to leave you. Give it a try!

Be mindful of your inner world of sensations. Mindfulness Meditation will transform your stress to peacefulness and even joy. Practice, practice, practice and let me know how it’s going for you.

Make your daily practice easy with Donna Marie’s Relaxations for Inner Peace audio program of guided meditations, soothing music and sounds of nature. Go now to our De-Stress Store.

Mindfulness Meditation Techniques to Deal with Stress – Part 2

donnam — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:00:32 +0000

In Part One of the series, I discussed one of three Mindfulness Meditation techniques for managing your stress; and the mechanism of stress. The stress mechanism is the process that occurs when an event is translated into a distress reaction.

I revealed that while most people are aware only of the event and their action or reaction to the event (that they interpret as stress,) in actuality, there is much more going on. In our experience of stress there are other intervening, often unconscious, steps of thought and emotions that come before the action we take, or our physicalresponse to a stressful event.

In this article, I will focus on how the thoughts we think contribute to the experience of stress and how Mindfulness Meditation can help you to manage the thoughts that contribute to your experience of stress.

Mindfulness is the ongoing practice of bringing your focus to the present moment as much as possible throughout your day. It is the practice of awareness of your thoughts, emotions, your body and the surrounding environment.

The key is to practice this awareness without thoughts of judgment or criticism of self, others or situations. To manage your thoughts about your experience you must first be aware of them. Once you are aware of inner negative comments (we all have them), mindfulness meditation practice helps you to let them go and refocus on simply observing what is happening both in your body and around you at the moment.

Mindfulness Meditation Technique #1, described in Part I of this series, teaches you to refocus on your breathing. By refocusing on this simple activity, you begin to free your mind from distractions associated with Past thinking; i.e. thoughts of yesterday, last week, last year, etc., and with Future thinking; i.e. thoughts of what may happen; both negative and positive, especially worry.

Freeing your mind from Past and Future thinking is important because stress originates from fear-based thought patterns that we have been unconsciously conditioned to think. Fear thoughts are learned over our whole lives from those who are closest to us.

Recent studies also point to fetal experiences being formative too. As we were growing in the womb we experience the stress reactions of our mother as our own. If a mother experiences much stress during her pregnancy, chances are the child would have integrated that experience.

Mindfulness Meditation Technique #2:

Throughout your day take multiple 60 second breaks to practice focusing on your thoughts about your environment. Notice everything you can with your 5 senses. Keep your thoughts focused on looking, seeing, hearing, feeling.

What do you see around you? Notice colors, shapes, people, sensations. Notice your thoughts about everything you see. Practice seeing without judging right or wrong.

This practice can be done in a car, at work, at play, with others without interfering with your activities or really anyone else knowing. You are merely shifting your focus. Play this mental game right now.

Focus on the task that you are doing right now in this moment. For example, if you are writing or typing, notice that entire experience. How do your fingers feel as they strike the keys? How do the keys sound as you type? Notice any tension in your body and so on. Stay focused on exactly what you are doing. When you move on to the next task, notice everything about that too.

Mindfulness is a very effective means to experience calm, inner patience and confidence, and to access clarity. However, like other teachings we must become a student and practice daily.

Make your daily practice easy with Donna Marie’s Relaxations for Inner Peace audio program of guided meditations, soothing music and sounds of nature. Go now to our De-Stress Store.

Have you tried this exercise? What is your experience? Please share below.

Mindfulness Meditation Techniques to Deal with Stress – Part 1

donnam — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:00:34 +0000

I write frequently about how to deal with stress using mindfulness meditation. In this series of articles I’m going to go deeper into the practice of mindfulness meditation so you may more effectively include some part of the method I will describe in your daily practice for health and wellbeing. If you don’t already have a daily practice, please follow this series to learn three very simple techniques that will have you reducing your stress in no time at all.

I’ll be focusing on one technique at a time. Before I introduce the first technique, I’d like to give you a little insight into how we typically experience stress and especially how we learn to respond to stressful events in life.

When you are feeling stressed it is because you feel that you cannot control outcomes that you would like. Most of us aren’t really aware of the actual causes of stress. We experience all manner of negative feelings – stress, discomfort, anger, sadness, frustration – in response to events, situations and the behavior of others in our lives.

Most of us believe that external events, situations and behaviors “cause” our distress, and therefore they must be controlled, managed or eliminated somehow in order to reduce our stress. We soon discover it’s not possible to manage all of the things in our lives that bother us. So, we become discouraged believing that we must either put up with ever increasing stress or numb out in some way (often with alcohol or food – also known as “Happy Hour.”)

Here’s a little model I use to show how stress really works. Instead of the external situation directly causing our stress there are two intervening steps to consider:

We often become aware of stress when we notice our actions or the reactions in our bodies.

We miss the whole intervening process of observation, thought and meaning making, and emotions. It’s not the event, itself that causes stress, it’s our take on it, which then tells us how to feel about it and ultimately how to respond.

Focusing on the negative, distressing aspects of an event or another person’s behavior, or interpret situations as threatening, causes the stress hormones to flow freely. On the other hand, if you manage your thoughts to be at least neutral or find positive aspects of the situation you will experience far less distress.

You have no control of the many situations going on around you that seem to be the cause of your stress.

However, the one thing that you do have control over is how you decide to think about those situations. That is the bottom line.

Managing your thoughts is tricky if you haven’t even been aware of having them. That’s where Mindfulness Meditation comes in. Mindfulness helps you to slow down long enough to become aware of what is happening in your mind, body and emotions where you have more control. Mindfulness meditation helps you to become aware of how your body responds to stress, the emotions you are having and of the thoughts that trigger your emotions.

Mindfulness Meditation Technique #1:

Sit down (right now) and take 5 deep breaths.
Now focus on your breath going in and out.
Notice it without identifying it as “Am I doing this right or wrong?” Many people stay in their heads when first doing this, so practice on noticing your breathing as is goes in and out, without judgment.

Simple? Easy? Yes it can be. Practice is the key. Do this throughout your day. Set an hourly timer if you want to remind you of this practice.

Doing frequent deep breathing sessions will help you focus in the moment and allow you to notice your thoughts, emotions and tension in your body.

In the next article I will discuss how long held beliefs shape our stress reactions and the second Mindfulness Meditation Technique.

Make your daily practice easy with Donna Marie’s Relaxations for Inner Peace audio program of guided meditations, soothing music and soundDe-Stress Store.

Check out Donna Marie’s upcoming experiential workshops at http://www.dealwithstresstoday.com/events-calendar/

Mindfulness: Two Powerful Techniques to Reduce Your Stress at Work

donnam — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:04:54 +0000

Have you found yourself becoming more stressed out then usual? Stress, especially in the workplace, can occur for many reasons. Most people fly through life very quickly, not taking time to slow down and enjoy their lives, but simply push through one day to the next.

Moving through the workday at this speed does not allow you the time needed to process any of the daily ups and downs you might encounter during your workday. Dealing with stress at work is an important skill set to cultivate. The more you take the time to work through the minor stressors at work, the easier it will be for you to let each little work incident go, and the happier you will be overall with your job and work situation.

One important thing you can do when it comes to dealing with stress at work, is to give thanks as often as you can. This is a practice called Mindfulness Meditation.

Being aware, in your body, and living life moment to moment, gives you the ability to be thankful for what you have, and analyze the situation around you before responding. Mindfullness Meditation is a wonderful way to relax your mind and your body at the beginning and end of the day.

Another way you can deal with stress at work is to accept that there are certain things in your life that are not within your control. You can’t control assignments you are given, an individuals opinion of you, the hours you have to work every day- but you can make huge strides towards feeling stress free by accepting that there are some things that you personally cannot change.

Instead you can focus more specifically on things that are within your control. You can control how you react in a certain situation, how you communicate with your boss or co-workers, and how much time you give yourself daily to relax and reflect.

Thinking through the things that are within your power to control, gives you the ability to deal with stress at work in a proactive and productive way.

Begin the Day with Mindfulness Meditation to Calm Stress at Work

donnam — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:27:48 +0000

The work climate is sometimes a difficult one, and many people may find it hard to cope with the pressure of dealing with stress while at their job. It makes sense. Most people spend the majority of their day at their job, and the stressors of co-workers, bosses, and looming projects and deadlines sometimes contribute to a difficult working environment.

It’s easy for a small issue at work to become a larger one very quickly, and if you don’t take time to deal with stress at work as it comes, you might find yourself feeling the pressure. While dealing with stress at work may seem like an insurmountable obstacle, it is one that can be easily overcome simply by adding a few simple steps to your day.

In the morning, when you wake up, think about your morning routine. Is there any time for you to stop and give thanks for the blessings you already have in your life? Most people jump from task to task to task throughout their day, and never have even ten minutes to stop and think about things they can be grateful for. Stopping and taking some time to ruminate and give thanks is called Mindfullness Meditation.

Simply reminding yourself of the good things will help you not focus your energy and attention on the negative aspects. Take ten minutes every morning to practice Mindfullness Meditation, and you will quickly see the benefit this practice can have on your day to day life.

You need to make it your goal to not sweat the little things. When confronted with a difficult or stressful situation while at your job, take time to think before you react. Think back to your morning practice of Mindfulness Meditation. By channeling the positive energy you brought with you from the morning, you will be able to deflate some of the mounting frustrations that may arise while on the job.

Remember that everyone deals with their own stressors in different ways, and sometimes their reactions may have nothing do with you. Mindfulness Meditation can be a good addition to your morning routine and can help you when dealing with stress at work.

Use Mindfulness Meditation to Deal with the Stress of Job Uncertainty

donnam — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:06:54 +0000

In this challenging economy, many people are dealing with constant stress at work. As more and more jobs begin to cut positions that are non-essential, the careers of many hard working people hang in the balance. You may be convinced that your job is not secure. You might be worried about the added pressure of remaining at the top of the pack. A job environment such as this one can breed stress and frustration.

It is hard to remain calm and productive in a work situation where your job hangs on the line. Situations like these are extreme examples of stress at work, but an example that more and more people are encountering every day.

Almost everyone sees situations where they are dealing with stress at work. When in one of these situations you have choices. You can choose to allow the stress to take over your life- cause you physical and emotional stress, and perhaps decrease job performance; or you can choose to deal with stress in positive, uplifting ways.

Do not feel, even in a climate of threatened layoffs, that your attitude needs to be a negative one. The more positive you are, the more positivity you will attract. One great way to deal with these added burdens at work is to practice Mindfulness Meditation. Mindfulness Meditation encourages you to begin and end your day, every day, by taking a few minutes to express what you are grateful for.

Our lives are sometimes so quick and busy, with pressures and stresses coming at us from every angle. It is a wonderful idea to stop, breathe, and be grateful for all the blessings that we encounter in our lives every day!

Try to start with the basics. Be thankful that you have a job, be thankful for friends or family, and be thankful for your health. You’ll find that once you begin a Mindful Meditation, the list can go on and on! Keeping yourself aware of all the positives can help you enter each and every day with a more uplifting attitude about your life, which can translate into your job.

It is important to remember that all you are in control of is yourself. Dealing with stress at work, step by step, and being as productive and positive as you can, will hopefully secure your job position and reduce your stress level for years to come. Choose to practice Mindfulness Meditation, and see how beginning and ending your day with a moment of gratefulness can enrich your life monumentally, and decrease your stress level along the way!

Choose Mindfulness Meditation When Stressed by Difficult Co-Workers

donnam — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:28:21 +0000

Dealing with difficult co-workers in the workplace can add increased stress to anyone’s life. Everyone knows that one person in their office that they may find it difficult to communicate with. Maybe this is a co-worker who constantly tries to trump you in the office. Perhaps it’s a boss that doesn’t lead successfully, or an assistant that you simply cannot see eye to eye with.

Day to day pressures become more intense, conversations with these individuals can become more strained, and the relationship can begin taking a toll on your work performance. Don’t allow these negative relationships to take over your life! Begin by dealing with stress in the workplace in a positive way!

The first suggestion on dealing with stress in the workplace is to begin practicing Mindful Meditation. Mindful Meditation is a quick and easy way to relax your body and mind, while additionally creating a space that is incredible positive.

Start and end your day with some simple thoughts of what you are grateful for. Try to clear your mind of any negative energy, and surround yourself with positive energy. When you know that you have to interact with this person at work, prepare yourself. Realize that you may become frustrated, but that no situation will be insurmountable. Take a few moments to use Mindfulness Meditation here as well.

First think of the positives. Then you can begin by playing the conversation you are about to have in your mind. Now analyze what part of this conversation might cause you undue stress. Prepare your answers in advance. This way, if the stressful situation does arrive, you will already be prepared.

Next, think about different ways you might be able to communicate with this individual. Finding the best method of communication with difficult co workers is a terrific step in dealing with stress at work. For example, if face to face contact causes a more intense reaction, try communicating mostly over email, or over the phone. If you feel calmer in the morning, try scheduling meetings or talks with this co-worker at that time.

If your other co-workers spend time talking negatively about the office, or specific individuals, choose not to participate. Try to remain as positive about your co-workers and your working environment as you can. The more positive energy you can bring to your job, the easier it will be to deal with the stress at work that does occur in a less taxing manner.

There are many ways in which you can turn a difficult relationship into a positive one. Taking simple steps to relax yourself, practice mindfulness meditation, and carefully choose your method of communication, can have you well on your way to a more upbeat and productive working environment.

Can’t Focus? Mindfulness Meditation will Deal with Stress at Work

donnam — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:00:12 +0000

Finding that you can’t focus while you are at work? Is the stress of the daily grind taxing you in ways that you are having trouble dealing with?

Tons of people around the world find their jobs to be a source of tension in their lives. Whether it is a boss that constantly judges or critiques, co- workers who meddle or argue during work, a stressful project with a tight deadline, or too many things to do all at once, stress at work is a common phenomenon. What should you do about it? Here are some great tips on how to deal with stress at work.

If you can focus on these simple steps, your work stress will quickly and easily be able to be lowered to a manageable level . The first step to dealing with stress at work is called Mindfulness Meditation.

The concept of mindfulness meditation is that many people spend too much time in their daily work environments complaining about what Cialis online is wrong or bad about their jobs, but very little time feeling thankful about the work that is in their lives.

These people (and you may be one of them) tend to see the work environment glass as constantly half empty instead of half full. Ring a bell? Mindfulness Meditation tells you to first express gratitude before complaining.

For example: Yes, the boss might be on your back about this big project, but, you are enormously thankful for being given the responsibility to tackle the project in the first place. Making the oh so important time needed to express gratitude, and practice Mindfulness Meditation regularly, will make the problem itself seem less insurmountable.

Another a good way to deal with stress in the workplace is to eliminate judgments. Do not judge anyone in your working environment negatively. Once you pick up this practice, you will find how quickly you can begin seeing the glass as half full again.

A positive way to help yourself is to allow yourself to say “No,” once and a while. In this fast paced world, we all may find ourselves taking on responsibility after responsibility, without really ever stopping. Sometimes you have to allow yourself to say no. It is possible to do so in a graceful, positive way, to help the other person understand why you are turning them down. Letting the word ‘No” into your daily life will allow you to give yourself a break every once and a while. Then you can focus on doing your work 100 percent, without additional work piling up on the back burner.

Learning how to practice Mindfulness Meditation, keeping a positive attitude while at work, and letting yourself say no sometimes, are three spot on strategies to employ when dealing with stress at work.

How to Deal with Stress at Work and Thrive

donnam — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:51:42 +0000

If you are having trouble dealing with stress at work, do not worry, you are not alone. The majority of people find that their day to day work schedule evokes some kind of stress response. If your daily stressors build up too much, it can start effecting your work performance, your mood, and even stay with you after your work day has ended.

It may seem like stress at work is a problem that is unavoidable, but this is far from the case. There are numerous way in which you can take time to relax during your work day, thereby reducing your over all stress load and relaxing your mind and body. Not only will you be in a better, more uplifted mood, but also you will be ready to focus more clearly on the work tasks that lie ahead of you.

Lets begin with some easy ways in which you can relax your mind and body. Mindfulness meditation is a wonderful way for you to make the bigger problems feel just a little bit smaller. Practice expressing gratitude for a situation before allowing yourself to complain about it. This simple activity can do wonders for your mood.

Also, try to take a moment to yourself. If you feel yourself surrounded by a difficult situation, tell yourself that you are going to begin dealing with your stress at work. Next, notice the people that work closely with you in your office environment.

It is very likely that some of those people bring negative energy to their dealings with you. Being surrounded by too many folks bringing negative energy to the table can make anybody stressed out and anxious! Try to analyze better ways in which you can deal with these people.

If face to face interactions cause undue stress, perhaps you can try proceeding with them through more email correspondence. If you have co workers who constantly interrupt you while working, you can kindly remind them that you are trying to focus, and can speak to them when you have some more time.

Also, meditation can help greatly release some of your stress. Try taking some deep, cleansing breaths when you feel like you are overloaded. try to clear your mind of the individual stressor, and envision yourself deeply relaxing.

Whenever you feel your body going into a stress response, deep breathing can help immensely. By using mindfulness meditation ( which will remind you to think positively,) and relaxation, you can take your mind off of the stress at hand. When you take breaks, allow at least part of your break time to be time used for relaxation. By practicing these simple things, soon you too will find that dealing with stress at work is easier then expected.

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Mindfulness Meditation: Consciously Relax and De-Stress

donnam — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:28:48 +0000

Are you ready to tackle stressors in your life? Are you looking for a way to deal with day to day hurdles that get in your way? There are many simple techniques to keep the stress from piling up, but the key to all of them is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is being aware in the moment. Too often our lives fly by on hyperspeed and we can barely remember how we feel, what we did that day or when the last time was that we took some time for ourselves. It is very important to stay in the moment at all times.

Mindfulness can help in numerous aspects of our lives, especially while dealing with stress. Mindfulness, when paired with relaxation, visualization and meditation, can be the keys to leading a life that is much calmer and more connected.

Begin by taking some time every day to focus on yourself. If you need to get up a little earlier, or use part of your lunch break- do it! It is easy to spend too much time focusing on others, be it family, friends or co workers, and we usually forget that we should be number one. It is time now to focus on yourself!

Take some time to do some deep breathing and focus on the day ahead of you. Think about events that may be causing you stress in the future. By focusing on events, mindfully, piece by piece, the stressor won’t seem so large, but instead will become manageable. If there is a specific situation that causes you anxiety, playing out how the situation will go in a positive way creates a higher likelihood that you will feel less stressed in a given situation!

Also use some of your personal time to do some deep breathing. Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down. After you have thought about things that may be coming up in your day, try to clear your mind of anything that may be causing you undue negativity. Studies have found that people who relax and meditate on a regular basis not only have lower levels of stress, but are healthier over all!

You too can tackle any problem or situation head on by planning it out in your head. When you enter a stressful situation, think back to the planning you did before hand. You will find that many of those situations become easier to deal with. By taking a few simple steps to relax and take some time to simply focus on you, you will soon find that you are on your way to having decreased stress on a regular basis.

Deal with Stress with Mindfulness Meditation