Stop for a second and ask yourself, do you want a life with less stress and more peace? That sounds wonderful, right? That is what I wish for everyone. However, the holidays are quickly approaching, and for many, this is a highly stressful time of the year. Planning, cooking, shopping, and cleaning, there are so many things that need to get done.
I host the family Christmas each year and trust me; I get it. Back in the day, I used to get myself so worked up over making everything perfect. A few days after Christmas each year, it was a guarantee that I’d get sick and would stay that way for weeks. It was a game to see what I would come down with. Respiratory infections, the flu, and even one-year a round of the shingles.
My immune system is already weak from having Lupus. Adding stress to my life makes it even worse. You don’t have to have a chronic illness for stress to affect you. Continual stress for anyone will cause an unbalance in your body. When our bodies are unbalanced is when our immune systems are compromised, and it is harder for us to fight off illnesses.
That is why practicing mindfulness is so important. It’s about taking the steps necessary for own self-care and improving overall wellness.
Your mindfulness challenge for this week, through the holiday season and hopefully beyond, is to Stop.
S = STOP
Recognize and notice your body as you go about your day. When you start to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, Stop. Stop what you are doing. No matter what it is, stop doing it.
T = Take a deep breath.
Remember many mindfulness challenges back when we talked about the importance of deep belly breathes? Breathe in deeply through your nose and watch as your belly rises. Then release that breath through your nose again. Make sure to do these enough times until you feel relaxed. For me, I try to do a full minute or two.
O = Observe the situation.
Take a moment to reflect on your emotions and thoughts. As you notice them, try to name them. When we name our feelings, this gives a calming effect on our minds. If you feel stressed, say (breathing in), “I’m stressed” (breathing out) “I am letting go of this stress.”
As you observe the situation, take time to do a body scan. Pay attention to where the stress is residing in your body. If it’s your shoulders, see if you can release the pressure in that location. You can even say (breathing in), “I feel the tension in my shoulders” (breathing out). “I release the tension.”
P = Proceed.
Here is the point you can continue doing what it was you were doing. Or maybe not, perhaps you came up with enough information during the other steps to realize that this is what was causing you stress. You can choose to change what you are doing or to change your thoughts about what you are doing.
It’s possible; you can even choose to make the situation better by doing something you love that helps to relax you. Have a cup of herbal tea or do some stretches. Whatever you find that relaxes you.
Taking a few minutes to stop what we are doing to notice and relieve the stress in our body is well worth the time. The benefits will last you longer than the holidays.
“You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway.” – Steve Maraboli
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If you haven’t already, I would love for you to join my weekly mindfulness challenge. If you want to get mindful each week, enter here.
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