Be Transformed with The Catalyst: These Hacks Will Help You Overcome Stress

Stress is your body’s response to environmental interpretations, perceptions, or beliefs. These responses can be good or bad.

When you feel stressed by something going on around you, your body reacts by releasing biochemicals like adrenalin and cortisol into your blood. These biochemicals give you more energy and strength, which can come in handy if your stress is caused by physical danger. 

But this can also be bad if the stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength. The biggest problem here is that when the response is negative and sustained over extended periods, your body, mind, and spirit will be stretched, stressed, and eventually break down.

Oftentimes, stress manifests when we carry over yesterday’s concerns into our consciousness today. We must be able to “dump” all of our concerns from the previous day or days, learn from them, release ourselves and concentrate wholly on our today.

According to Dr. Bruce Lipton, 95% of disease is caused by stress and 100% of stress is caused by a wrong belief. Stress leads to various health issues such as heart and vascular problems, palpitations, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight issues, diabetes, chronic pain, arthritis, joint problems, irritable bowel syndrome, loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, infertility, chronic depression, migraines, organ dysfunction, immunity issues, and so on. Here are 6 hacks to reduce stress:

Resolve to release negative thoughts of yesterday 

Be mindful of the now – this thought only, this breath, this moment. Take in three deep breaths and slowly release each one. At the same time, feel every concern, every problem, and every unresolved moment. 

In this special moment, be calm. Free your mind and body from worry, regret, disappointment, anger, and grief. Just be at peace with yourself. You can deal with issues at a later time, but for now, be in this very moment. Bask in it.

You can also do something else like playing the saxophone, taking a quick stroll, gardening, or pottery while simultaneously keeping your mind quiet and calm. Practice this act of quiet and calm each day and see how much you’ll accomplish. At the first sign of being stressed, go back to this mindful, quiet place and start again until you have reached your inner place of calm.

Do something you enjoy 

In my book, The Morning Commander, I explain how the best thing you can do for yourself is to do what you enjoy, like going out for lunch, dinner, or having drinks. Limit the amount of salt, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol in your diet. Drink plenty of water, and do at least moderate exercise each day.

Sleep and rest more

It’s very common, in this part of the world, to have less than 6 hours of sleep daily, however, experts recommend 6-8 hours of sleep per night to rest our bodies and rejuvenate our minds. Sleeping helps our bodies rest and heal.

Turn your gadgets off

The convenience that cell phones have added to our lives can be a double-edged sword: we now depend on them so much that it seems we can’t live without them. Our minds are constantly filled with news, social media, emails, and so on, and it is nearly impossible for us to get settled. Put your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed. 

Take a holiday

It doesn’t have to be a fancy vacation resort. A day at the beach, spa, hotel, staycation, or an afternoon at the park will do – anywhere you can be and not think about the bills, work, or whatever tensions you may have.  It’s important to take time out for yourself, so do it! You cannot give what you do not have.

Take time to breathe properly. Take deep belly breaths to send pure oxygen to all of your body. Laugh and then laugh some more; it is food for the soul! Spend time doing the things that please you most. Engage in healthy and fulfilling relationships.

When we are content and living a balanced life, everyday stress seems to pale in comparison. We are better equipped to deal with the unexpected. To command your day, you have to master your stressors and take command of your life.