What are you growing?

There seems to be more and more people - children and adults who are experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety in their lives.

After busy days at school and work, there is often pets and chores to attend to, not to mention the activities that we really want to do, but sometimes seem so tired by the time we get there and stressful to fit it all in.

In a great little book called What to Do When You Worry Too Much, A Kid's Guide to Overcoming Anxiety led us through simples steps to help reduce anxiety.

Since I tend to be an over thinker simple reminders are always nice.

The book used the analogy of growing a plant.
A nice, big healthy plant will grow big and strong when it is attended to by watering and placing it in the sun and trimming dead leaves and flowers off. 

Stress and anxiety will also grow and grow if that is what we tend to focus on and instead of being left with many great healthy plants we are left with a large amount of problems.

Being nervous and anxious is fairly natural. Starting a new job, school, etc. can make anyone a bit on edge, but getting stuck in our worries is when problems arise.

A good thing to do when you are worried or upset is to bring your attention inward. Focus on how your body and breath and how it is responding in times of discomfort.  It is from this awareness that you can bring peace back into the body, breath and mind.

Sitting still breath in and out quietly and smoothly though the nose.  Pay attention to how the breath feels as it touches the nasal passage, the throat and into the chest. How is feels with the exhalation as you release the breath.  Imagine all the negative thoughts and feelings leaving with the exhalation. Even doing this for ten breaths can change how you view your stress level.

Stress releasing activities like yoga, meditation, walking, etc. can take your mind off worries, which is great. But don't avoid them altogether because they won't actually disappear but may put things into perspective. When the mind is more calm and quiet it is easier to bring a bit of logic to the situation.

Everything is a cycle -good to bad, happy to sad, anger to laughter, etc. It is holding on to the idea sometimes that everything has to be perfect all the time that can create even more stress or anxiety. Recognize when this is arising by knowing your body cues and try to breath through it the same as through a pleasant situation.

 Say quietly to yourself, "This too will pass."

Another great little activity I picked up from this little book was to draw pictures.
Here's one of mine.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson

Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor
www.plnyoga.BlogSpot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com