Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense danger — whether it’s real or imagined — the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response”. The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you.
Though we don’t face any real physical dangers to our bodies these days, still stress among people is ever increasing. And that’s all because of “imagined danger”. There can be many reasons for it, fear of losing out, fear of not getting those good grades, fear of heartaches and breakups, and the list can go on. If you find constantly suffering from stress, then this is the post for you. Here I am going to discuss 10 daily ways to reduce stress and cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion. Let’s start:
- Quietly begin the day by yourself. Spending just 5–10 minutes in the morning in silence can help establish the tone for the rest of the day.
- Set good intentions. Take a few moments at the start of the day to establish good thoughts and intentions for yourself and perhaps also for others.
- Eat mindfully. Take notice while eating a daily meal or snack. What does the food actually look like, smell like, feel like, taste like? Once in a while, you can try some new diets, like the Military Diet, and get detoxed and feel great with your body.
- Take three deep breathes. Taking three slow deep breaths in and three deep exhalation breaths out as many times as needed throughout your day can help manage feelings of anxiety or stress.
- Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated with water and herbal teas is a very small kind act towards yourself and of course towards your health.
- Stretch. Many of us sit for so long throughout the day and experience tension or tightness in the muscles, especially in the neck or back.
- Set realistic and manageable expectations. We may feel overwhelmed from time to time and often have numerous tasks and responsibilities in at hand. Thoughts like, “I hate my life” often creep into our minds. Stay realistic, and treat yourself well.
- Drive mindfully. Driving is often an activity we do in ‘autopilot mode’.
- Transition back. Once you return home transition from the work mode to home mode. It is important to spend time physically and emotionally transitioning back.
- What went right during the day? Finally spending some time before you fall asleep thinking of any three things that went right for you during the day or that you feel grateful for, is a great way to conclude the day.
Originally published at medium.com