How Do You React To Stress?

So many questions I get asked are stress related. Life is without doubt a roller coaster with stress over relationships, finances, work, home, friends, demands and expectations from others.

Honestly, I can say I share all of these with you, but with the rituals I follow every day, the daily practice of time out in meditation, these exercises certainly transport me to a very different place. The problem is not about experiencing negative feelings and emotions, but how long you subject yourself to the torment in your own mind and body.

And something most people probably don’t want to hear is that most of our depression is a choice we make, not a problem in our brain, not the fault of anything or anyone or any situation, but a choice we make. If you can accept this, then you can move out of this negative habitual loop. The key is to realize that there is nothing ‘outside of you’ that can bring long-term happiness. The only way to bring long term, long lasting joy, peace and a love for life is to develop this from inside of yourself. Things, places, people, can all bring us joy, but if we’re reliant on those things to maintain the feelings we crave, we have given our power away to external sources. True joy, peace, love for life, is only achievable from the inside out.

Please allow me to share my routine that I also teach in my live workshops here in Dubai. Try them for 21 days and it will absolutely turn your life around. These short simple exercises are the teachings of Tony Robbins, Dr Joe Dispenza, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle. So, when they seem a little simple just do them, no judgment, no opinion. They are tried and tested, and I assure you, they work.

1. Before you go to bed every evening set intentions for the day ahead. So, it could simply be to eat healthy, take time out for a long walk or it could be a small list of 'things to do.' Just be sure that it's a set of small goals that are achievable for the next day and no matter what, you are going to get them done. When you wake up in the morning you have a mission for the day ahead.

2. Every morning list at least 10 things you are truly grateful for. This could be from the air you breath to the legs you walk on. Gratitude changes our entire vibration from an attitude of ‘here we go again’ to being in a state of abundance from the inside out. So, write a list of non-material things. This crazy simple exercise is incredibly effective. Don’t underestimate the power of this small task.

3. As you move through your day, be the observer of your thoughts. Be the witness to those thoughts that are judgments, opinions, negative self-talk, habitual chatter in your mind that are simply repeated unnecessarily. These are the thoughts that we are allowing to run our mind, our behaviour, our choices, our actions and how we feel. This takes a little getting used to and regular reminders. As soon as you forget about this task, your negative habitual thoughts will step right in and ‘run the show!’ Being aware of our thoughts is the first major step to real change. It takes time and then it becomes a natural process where you will notice thoughts that are neither useful or loving to you or to others. Just by noticing such thoughts, you are taking control of your own mind and in doing so, you’ll start to make new choices, behave differently, you’ll act diffarently and the outcome will be very different experiences.

4. ‘Motion changes Emotion.’ This is probably the most effective task as its quick and a real game changer. As soon as you notice negative thoughts that are causing you to feel sad, depressed, anxious, angry, frustrated, I want you to dramatically change your body posture and position. Jump up, raise your arms in the air, raise your face to the sky, and shout out ‘Yes’ or ‘Change!’ The effects on the chemistry in the body is massive. The brain will receive messages from the body that it's joyful, excited, high on life and it will automatically respond by producing chemicals to match this. Scientifically well researched, this exercise works every time. But you have to do it with conviction, with energy, with power in the movement. It’s rather like an electric shock for the brain and really does reset your emotional state. Warning! You will never feel like doing this! When you are feeling really low, the last thing your mind and body wants is to be shocked out of its negative habitual loop. Don’t think, just do it!

No matter what, you are responsible for how you feel. Events outside of you can never ‘make’ you feel anything. How you perceive your external world is your choice. So, take charge of your mind, break those old negative habitual loops by being observant. Only you can do this. Take control of your mind and body, be the symphony leader and start deciding ‘how do you want to think and feel.’

Send me your feedback and let me know how you go.

Blessings

Marie