15/01/2016
What to Do About Everyday Stress
Besides reading more about your doshas, there are some simple things you can do to sweep away daily stress. To begin with, take a good look at where your stresses are originating. Are the factors more external or internal?
External factors include things such as work pressures, financial problems, too small or too big a home, etc…
Internal factors such as lack of sleep, loss of appetite, bad digestion, low self-esteem, a pessimistic attitude to life are no less stress-generating.
The challenge is to stay and play. Here is how you can do it:
Communicate: A great deal of stress piles up when we refuse to talk about it--even to ourselves. Each time we suppress stress, it piles up like a toxin inside our minds, and slowly seeps into our psyche. The deeper it filters into our consciousness, the more difficult it seems to get rid of.
But even if you have so far been unwilling to admit to your stresses, you can improve the situation. Talk to someone you can confide in. Or take the time to write a journal and pour out your feelings to yourself. Learn Meditation. Sign up for yoga. Being among other people who are trying to find similar answers will make you feel you are not alone. You'll start thinking and feeling more positive.
Turn to Nature: Bring more herbs into your life. Grow them on your windowsill, or start an herb garden--most herbs grow wonderfully well in containers. Brew herbal beverages,Take a bath using such relaxation-inducing essential oils as lavender, chamomile or jasmine.
Eat meals that are high in fresh, natural ingredients. It's amazing what a big difference your choice of food can make in helping you cope with stress. A morning cup of coffee may be a habit you cannot seem to give up, but caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to release the stress neurotransmitters, which, over time, tires them. Also, those refined carbs you eat for breakfast-, donut, rolls--and the sugar in your coffee affect your blood-sugar levels, which can cause your emotions to swing like a pendulum.
Therefore, don't start your day with coffee. Start with a stewed apple. Replace store-bought ready-to-eat pasta with whole grains. Eat less of yeast-based bread; make more fresh bread. Avoid hard, aged cheeses--eat fresh home-made cottage cheese or paneer. Don't buy pre-sliced or canned fruit and veggies. Buy them from a local farmer's market, process them fresh, and cook them the same day. Don't buy vegetable oil; bring home a jar of ghee or cook in sunflower oil.
In these simple ways, you will slowly throw out stress and bring more bliss into your life. LIVE LOVE LAUGH
