To combat the stress that surrounds us every day, just take a few minutes to rest your body and mind.
Last update: April 01, 2022
Stress is increasingly part of our daily life. We run from one activity to another, with our minds full of pending obligations and tasks. We focus so much on being productive that we don't allow ourselves to rest. And this is precisely the forgotten tool against stress: rest.
Taking a few minutes off doesn't make a big difference. It is always possible (or at least it should be) to disconnect from obligations for.
This habit offers great benefits. Knowing that we have a chance to rest, and giving it to us, has a great mental influence.
Stress is an attitude
We tend to think that stress comes from the large number of tasks we have to do every day. This is certainly a contributing factor.
However, much of this subjective feeling comes from our attitude. We all know someone who seems to be living fast, regardless of their obligations.
Someone who is always in a hurry, who thinks they keep up with work and commitments, as well as looking for new activities to add to their list. Despite the work to be done (work, family, social), much of the pressure comes from the fact that we never disconnect. The body never rests, but neither does the mind.
On the other hand, there are people who carry out their tasks with a relaxed attitude. These individuals do not necessarily work slower than their predecessors nor are they less productive.
Their mind is simply working at a different (healthier) pace. They are people who take breaks, a few minutes of rest. Able to enjoy the present moment instead of anticipating, in a hurry, what they will have to do tomorrow.
The dangers of living with stress
A stressed out attitude will not cause us to make better use of time or be more effective. In reverse, when anxiety levels are high, they begin to interfere with our abilities. Performance decreases and physical health can also be seriously compromised.
Prolonged stressful situations are closely related to coronary heart disease, hypertension and increased cholesterol. They also cause various somatizations such as stomach pain or headache. They can appear overweight as a result of emotional hunger and sleep disturbances.
The body is prepared to deal with high levels of tension in a timely manner. Before that, it sets in motion the mechanisms necessary to allow us to act. However, when this situation persists over time, the effects on our body are devastating.
Beyond that, when we are on alert, we focus on survival and not deliberate self-care. Because of this we begin to neglect our habits and take less care of boredom.
The forgotten tool against stress
Among the many tools that exist to combat stress, rest is one of the simplest, most effective and most forgotten. Its power comes not only from the physical fact of stopping us in the daily hustle and bustle, but also because it slows down our mind.
It is a very easy exercise to perform. Every two hours or so, let's take a break from activities and focus on the present. No more than five or are needed.
Let's clear our minds of what we were doing and what we'll do next and focus on our feelings. We can take a short walk to move the body or just sit down and focus on breathing.
The main idea is to remind us to live, have fun, feel and get out of the mental cycle of obligations and responsibilities for a moment. This is especially important in the middle of the day, during meals. So let's take the time to eat calmly and consciously.
We take this opportunity to have a relaxed chat, read or watch a series. It does not matter how we use this time frame, but rather the fact that we consider it free. This constitutes a stop along the way that allows you to get out of inertia and come back to us.
Conclusions
If you are currently grateful to yourself as a person living in constant stress, the idea of ​​rest may seem absurd.
You will find a thousand excuses and mental justifications why you cannot afford it. But the more impossible or useless it seems, the more you need the forgotten stress reliever, the rest.
