In Stressful Times: 3 Ways To Keep Cool, Calm & Collected
As a mindful practice coach, people come to me with one major concern, stress. Stress has a way of diverting our attention, hampering our focus, lowering our mood, and weakening our resolve when it comes to making healthier choices. Although it is understandable and natural to respond to difficult situations with stress, in reality, stress serves no one. I often tell my clients that when they can’t change their circumstances, they can take steps toward shifting their mindset. One way to do this is to respond to stress with calm instead of fear and panic. This is where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness helps us stay present in the moment.
Mindfulness can create calm during difficult times. Mindfulness is about paying attention in the present moment, non-judgmentally. The fact that we don’t default to this way of being is what makes training the mind of utmost importance. The mind itself appears to have a mind of its own.
The beautiful thing about mindful practice is that it practically takes nothing away from us. Rather, it instills in us a sense of awe and wonder, at the simple fact that there is still an unfolding happening in our lives, and a sense of realization at still being here to see it unfold.
Think Better To Learn Better & Make Better Choices
The goal of practicing mindfulness is very simple. The calmer we are, and the more regularly we can train our brains to be more mindful overtime, our brains will slowly default to a better state of mind. The Amygdala is an almond-shaped mass of gray matter inside each cerebral hemisphere involved with the experiencing of emotions. When the Amygdala feels threatened or “hijacked”, without the ability to regulate ourselves, we become like a barking dog- unable to think, remember or do anything. All we have to do then is quiet the dog down by taking a quick meditation or brain break.
Strengthen Attention
Mindfulness training tools help strengthen attention whenever we experience high-stress circumstances. This includes members on active-duty military service. Attention is important because we require it for all sorts of things, like focusing, noticing, making decisions, and regulating our emotions. Research shows that mindfulness reduces stress and increases focus. Some mindfulness practices that can help you with strengthening your attention can be as simple as tracking the sensations of your breath, also known as breathwork. Others include fostering kindness and connecting with others. These practices take as little as 15 minutes a day and can be picked up at any moment. Changing our focus can be immensely powerful.
Earlier in my career when I started experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, I enrolled myself in meditation classes. I remember the smell of the candles, the plants that surrounded me, rays of sunlight brushing through the window, and the wind coming through the curtains in my room. I began introducing the use of mantras while meditating. Something had happened within me. It was as if this feeling of joy, my happiness, and my vitality for life had been buried, and now I was beginning to reconnect to the seat of joy that I believe we are all born with. Grinning from ear to ear, I had found a piece of me that I thought was lost. With time, meditation helped me sharpen my priorities. I was able to focus on the things that always mattered most (happiness, family, purpose). I’ve recorded a simple mindfulness meditation with some simple steps to get you started. Listen here.
Infuse mindfulness anywhere
During stressful times we may experience debilitating and significantly depleting moments where we are clouded with emotions like worry and uncertainty. The more we demand of ourselves during difficult periods, the greater the stress. One easy way to lower the stress bar is to infuse mindfulness into your daily activities like brushing your teeth. Because we can be distracted at times, we usually don’t even remember brushing our teeth. But if we focus on each step, such as holding the toothbrush, applying toothpaste, and noticing the sensations that arise as we guide it to our mouth, we are practicing mindfulness.
Remember, mindfulness is always available to us. We just need to learn to tap into it.
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**Erica weaves themes of transformative hope and grace-filled leadership into everything she shares on her blog. She’s an author, a speaker, and a life coach, who offers honest encouragement and road-tested wisdom about topics ranging from leadership and lifestyle, to discovering your God-crafted identity, design, and purpose.
This post is sponsored by: https://hype.co/@ericakenechi
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