5 Ways To Combat Stress With A Mental Makeover
If
you had an extra few hours in your day, how would you spend them?
Chances
are we'd use them to do more:
Do more work, do more activities with our family, do more items on
our bucket lists. We're wired to want to "do it all" -- and
as a result, we burn out quickly.
So
how do we tackle this problem? According to Scott Eblin, Overworked
and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative,
our burnout solution comes from not just adjusting our schedules, but
our attitudes.
After
being diagnosed with MS in 2009, Eblin decided he needed to revamp
his own outlook in order to tackle life with the vigor and enthusiasm
it deserves. Below, he offers tips on how to give yourself your own
mental makeover -- and how it can help you relieve stress in the
process.
Get
moving.
Exercise
does more than just improve our fitness -- it has amazing mental
health benefits as well.
Eblin recommends prioritizing some sort of physical activity. And
just a little bit goes a long way. "Do some sort of mindful
movement every day," Eblin told The Huffington Post. "Whether
thats five minutes of stretching, going for a walk ... or even doing
yoga."
The
catch? "You need to do this preferably without your
phone," Eblin said. Taking a break from your digital devices can
help reset
your focus and make you more productive --
skills you'll certainly need if you're going to fight the mental
burnout that comes with work.
Create
a calming routine.
In
order to stop stress from taking over our entire day, we need to be
aware of when our anxious thoughts start. Have a go-to, relaxing
trick -- like focusing on your breathing or using a calm-inducing
smartphone app -- when your thoughts begin to spiral, Eblin says.
"This will give the brain a break from primary tasks," he
explained. "It also clears out the chatter in our minds. The
average person has something like 70,000 thoughts a day, so it's very
easy to get overwhelmed with all the chatter."
Tap
into your listening skills.
Giving
your full attention to someone seems like a given when you're in a
conversation, but Eblin says it's a habit we rarely practice.
Listening -- without an agenda, he notes -- is a great way to
cultivate mindfulness, which can help lower your mental stress.
Bonus:
It's also great for your social bonds. "It's amazing how
connected people get when we just listen," he said. "Too
often in life we're not present for each other because there are too
many distractions. Listening helps you and your relationships."
And that means a clearer mind.
Ask
the big questions.
In
order to reframe your thoughts, you need to think about what you
really want out of life, Eblin explains. This includes asking
yourself questions like, "Why am I here?" "How am I
when I'm at my best?" "What are the routines I have in my
life that make it more likely to bring out my best self?"
"Taking
time for reflection helps you reconnect with yourself," he said.
"Our thoughts control our feelings. This prompts us to take
actions that are useful and productive ... that's a big part of
giving yourself a mental makeover."
Lay
out your goals.
Once
your ask yourself these questions, Eblin recommends writing out your
answers. That way, you're able to review it whenever you feel off
track. "Having all of that on one piece of paper can be
incredibly powerful," he said. "From a mental makeover
standpoint, having this reference point makes it so you don't have to
keep thinking about it. By breaking it down, you're getting closer to
the outcomes that you're looking for."
When
it comes down to it, Eblin stresses that in order to make a change to
your outlook, you have to take the process in stride. "Sometimes
you can't see progress you're making, but all of a sudden you're
doing it -- baby steps are still steps forward," he said.
"Giving yourself a mental makeover is all about being aware and
being intentional about making a change."
Lindsay
Holmes
lhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/
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