“It’s not stress that causes us to fall, it’s how we respond to it” Stress is all around and it’s something we just have to live with in today’s world but the challenge should be about how we manage it, how we respond to it. Of all the people who visit a GP  this year almost 80% will have stress as a component of their illness. This is because our bodies and our minds don’t function properly when we are stressed and long term stress can actually lead to major health issues. So if you had a tool that could very quickly and effectively reduce that stress in under 2 minutes, would you use it?

I have a simple method that works every time but there is a catch, you need to practice it. A couple of times a day for say 30 second in the morning and before you go to bed at night is sufficient for about a week and then your subconscious mind will then reconnect when you most need it.

So when would you use it; any time you feel stressed but there are 3 situations that come to mind where it could be really helpful.

1. When you are in a stressful situation but you can remove yourself from it for a couple of minutes.
2. You anticipate a stressful situation is about to happen.
3. If your response to that stress is to do something that you will regret afterwards, for example anger response, drinking, eating, etc.

Find a place to sit or lie down and listen to the audio below:

Notice how much more relaxed and in control your feel.

You are experiencing being in the NOW, this is what the term mindfulness means. I asked you to focus on two distinct things at the same time and because the mind cannot focus on more than two things at once you move into this noiseless state and then notice how you are able to let the clutter go and very quickly and easily release the tension.

The technique can be beneficial in helping you take back control as you integrate it into your lifestyle. Use this audio to practice a couple of time each day and eventually you will be able to do it without the audio by replaying it in your own mind.

Try it out the next time you start to feel stressed. You will be amazed at the results. Let me know how you go by leaving a comment below.