One of the habits we practice in the Vibrant Body + Wise Mind Program is Living with Ease.
That’s right. We actually practice relaxing!
We have been conditioned to accept stress as a normal part of life. We might even wear stress as a badge of honor.
“Look at how hard I’m doing life! I’m stressed, so I must be doing something right.”
I know I was raised with a solid, midwestern work ethic. Rest? No way. That meant you were “lazy.”
Being busy and productive were strongly reinforced. Being stressed was just seen as a natural part of being responsible.
But stress is killing us, friends. Literally.
There are so many diseases that result from STRESS.
It’s time to wake up and realize that our addiction to stress or our fear of falling behind or not making enough money or not doing enough for our kids or _______ (fill in the blank) is a habit.
It might be one we didn’t choose to adopt, but now that we are grown up – we can learn to relax.
This is one of the most relieving habits and honestly, one of the most challenging for course members.
The power of stress is insidious. It takes courage to practice relaxing when the tension creeps in.
So… how do you change?
STEP 1: Reflect on different aspects of your life. Notice where stress shows up. What are you doing? What are you thinking?
STEP 2: Notice where stress lives in your body. How does it feel? When you can anticipate the circumstances in which stress shows up and can feel it in your body, you can then do something different.
STEP 3: Make a commitment to practice relaxing your body when stress starts to creep in. Take three deep breaths. Stand up and stretch or shake it out. Lie on the floor and breathe for a minute. Experiment to find what works for you to shift from stress to ease.
Changing long-standing habits like stressing out can take time. Those neural pathways are well ingrained!
Get clear about why you want/need this habit. (For me, I don’t want to grow another tumor. I want to sleep through the night and I want be present and joyful with my kids.)
Establish some accountability. Find a buddy or join the Vibrant Body + Wise Mind Community. Research shows that we evolve faster in groups. Find the people who have the habits you want and hang out with them.
There are some great resources out there on rejecting the culture of busyness and chronic stress. And embracing easeful living as an act of resistance.
What works for you?
