5 effective ways to deal with everyday stress.

Break the cycle of repetitive thoughts.
We have all heard of manifesting, the law of attraction, being positive and achieving goals. What happens when your mind is stuck on a cycle like a dysfunctional machine? Rarely do people talk about what you can do when you're faced with a lifetime's habit of thinking the worst or getting stuck in angry and anxious thought patterns. Here's what you can do BEFORE going to the positive. Every time you think about something upsetting, say in your mind, ''So What''? For example your head says you're running out of money or energy or love, you say '' So What''. Your brain repeats the next awful scenario and your body starts to raise it's blood pressure and your nerves feel tight, you say, ''So What''. Even if you find yourself saying this in your mind over 100 times, do it, say ''So What''. After some practice, this may take days, weeks or just hours, the neural pathways in your brain that keep you pessimistic start to lose their power and cut themselves off. This allows you to then have the space to fill with something positive that you'd like to focus on.
We have all heard of manifesting, the law of attraction, being positive and achieving goals. What happens when your mind is stuck on a cycle like a dysfunctional machine? Rarely do people talk about what you can do when you're faced with a lifetime's habit of thinking the worst or getting stuck in angry and anxious thought patterns. Here's what you can do BEFORE going to the positive. Every time you think about something upsetting, say in your mind, ''So What''? For example your head says you're running out of money or energy or love, you say '' So What''. Your brain repeats the next awful scenario and your body starts to raise it's blood pressure and your nerves feel tight, you say, ''So What''. Even if you find yourself saying this in your mind over 100 times, do it, say ''So What''. After some practice, this may take days, weeks or just hours, the neural pathways in your brain that keep you pessimistic start to lose their power and cut themselves off. This allows you to then have the space to fill with something positive that you'd like to focus on.

Familiar environment.
Everyone's informed about courses in self development, personal growth, affirmations, the law of attraction, going on a yoga retreat, walking in a beautiful park etc. Sometimes it's easier to create a calming experience at home. Yes I did say home. Being around somewhere familiar and comfortable Create a safe space at home, it can be your sanctuary even if you have a busy family life. Find a corner in your room if there's no extra rooms available and screen it off from the rest. Tell other household members it's your space and keep it that way. As your sacred space becomes familiar and used by you, it will help induce positive feelings and a sense of respite from your every day life. Have a candle there, some greenery and a comfortable chair to relax in. Make sure there's a do not disturb sign on the entrance area.
Everyone's informed about courses in self development, personal growth, affirmations, the law of attraction, going on a yoga retreat, walking in a beautiful park etc. Sometimes it's easier to create a calming experience at home. Yes I did say home. Being around somewhere familiar and comfortable Create a safe space at home, it can be your sanctuary even if you have a busy family life. Find a corner in your room if there's no extra rooms available and screen it off from the rest. Tell other household members it's your space and keep it that way. As your sacred space becomes familiar and used by you, it will help induce positive feelings and a sense of respite from your every day life. Have a candle there, some greenery and a comfortable chair to relax in. Make sure there's a do not disturb sign on the entrance area.

Deep breathing and sigh
When we're anxious it's often about an imagined future or fear of change in our circumstances and how to deal with it. We tend to create short shallow breathing. Notice how you breathe when you're just waking up or deeply relaxed. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in your body. As you breathe more deeply into the whole body it sends a message to your brain telling it to relax and calm down. Your brain then sends this message to the rest of your body and heart rate lowers as does blood pressure. If you've got pent up emotions the deeper you breathe more you might want to let out a deep sigh.
When we're anxious it's often about an imagined future or fear of change in our circumstances and how to deal with it. We tend to create short shallow breathing. Notice how you breathe when you're just waking up or deeply relaxed. Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in your body. As you breathe more deeply into the whole body it sends a message to your brain telling it to relax and calm down. Your brain then sends this message to the rest of your body and heart rate lowers as does blood pressure. If you've got pent up emotions the deeper you breathe more you might want to let out a deep sigh.
Meditate and focus
Having done some deep breathing and sighing, you can move on and start to meditate. Take a few minutes to focus on each part of your body, from head to foot. Notice any tension in any area of your body and breathe deeply into the affected area. Start to remember or imagine a wonderful place of peace. This may come as an image of you by the sea or a memory of a place that where you were happy and more peaceful. Begin to consciously increase that sense of peace, what did it look like? How does it feel? Are there any sounds there that relax you? Use your imagination to make your feeling of happiness and peace grow.
Having done some deep breathing and sighing, you can move on and start to meditate. Take a few minutes to focus on each part of your body, from head to foot. Notice any tension in any area of your body and breathe deeply into the affected area. Start to remember or imagine a wonderful place of peace. This may come as an image of you by the sea or a memory of a place that where you were happy and more peaceful. Begin to consciously increase that sense of peace, what did it look like? How does it feel? Are there any sounds there that relax you? Use your imagination to make your feeling of happiness and peace grow.

Go Blue.
Sometimes your thoughts and emotions build up into a lot of stress and anxiety. The colour blue can soften your feelings and calm you down. Instead of being blue, go blue. Again find a quiet space to sit.
Make sure you're really comfortable and start to picture the colour blue surrounding you in your aura. Imagine the colour blue starting to permeate through your aura and into your body.
Picture or feel this as if you are a sponge absorbing this colour. Colour therapy uses blue for calm as well as colour psychology.
(C) Alexandra P. Brown, all rights reserved
Sometimes your thoughts and emotions build up into a lot of stress and anxiety. The colour blue can soften your feelings and calm you down. Instead of being blue, go blue. Again find a quiet space to sit.
Make sure you're really comfortable and start to picture the colour blue surrounding you in your aura. Imagine the colour blue starting to permeate through your aura and into your body.
Picture or feel this as if you are a sponge absorbing this colour. Colour therapy uses blue for calm as well as colour psychology.
(C) Alexandra P. Brown, all rights reserved