“Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response to what happens and response is something we can choose.” ~ Maureen Killoran

Today, is world mental health day, 10th October. The theme for this year is “Mental health is a universal human right“. The premise behind this theme is to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal and basic human right.

Keeping that in mind, today’s article is about how you can understand and heal from stress.

More than two-thirds of visits to the doctors or surgeries are for stress-related illnesses.

Stress has been linked to headaches, backaches, insomnia, anger, cramps, elevated blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and lowered resistance to infection.

For women, stress is a key factor in hormonal imbalances resulting in menstrual irregularities, PMS, fibroids, endometriosis and fertility problems.

Stress can also be a factor in the development of almost all disease states, including cancer and heart disease; the leading cause of death in men & women.

In most cases stress is a result of letting life get out of balance.

This happens when we put all our energy into only one or two areas of our life (usually work) and ignore the rest.

When does Stress happen?

To put it simply…..

Stress happens when: We take on too much, over-promise, don’t delegate and push our own wants and needs into the background by always looking after others needs first.

We overload ourselves to the point where we are forced to stop attending to what is important to us, such as time for our interests and time to spend with our families.

Let’s rectify that and Calm our mind so that stress can’t affect our health negatively.

How to calm down quickly when you’re feeling stressed ~ 6 tools

Here are 6 tools that can help you achieve calm quickly, even during the most stressful times.

1. Deep Breathing

With your right hand on your heart, feel your heartbeat and take slow, deep breaths. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, and then exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. This deep-breathing technique can help lower your heart rate and reduce stress in less than 5 minutes.

2. Muscle Relaxation

When we are stressed our whole body becomes tight. Every muscle tenses up. Release this tension by first tensing and then releasing each muscle group in your body. Start from your toes and working your way up to your head. This helps to relieve physical tension and promote relaxation within minutes.

3. Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness has been proven to bring you to the present moment, thereby bringing you back to reality and out of the stress of “what if”. Practice mindfulness by focusing your attention on one thing in front of you. It could be a pen, a tree. Pay attention to your breath, the sensations in your body, or the sounds around you. This can help you let go of racing thoughts and worries and calm your nerves.

4. Visualization

Close your eyes and visualize a peaceful and calming scene, such as a beach, a forest, or a meadow. Imagine yourself in that place, engaging all your senses. If its a beach you visualize, you should be able to smell it, feel the sand and the breeze. Go deep in your visualizations. Visualization can transport your mind away from stressors.

5. Positive Self-Talk

You know how much I love my positive affirmations. Challenge your negative stressful thoughts with positive affirmations or statements. For example, if you’re thinking, “I can’t handle this,” replace it with “I can manage this situation one step at a time.” I personally love the combinations of affirmations and the deep breathing(#1) exercises. There have been many a stressful situations I have overcome with this.

6. Physical Activity

My nature walks are my savior. Whenever I have some majoyr confusing decisions to make which are stressing me out, I engage in a quick physical activity, like a brisk walk or a few minutes of stretching. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, and can help you feel calmer.

Don’t let stress or any negative emotion take over your life. Know that there is always a tool, a solution to make you feel better. To make you heal.

Which of the above tools did you like best? I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.

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