Life is notorious for throwing curveballs and being a little bit hectic. Luckily, there are simple tips to help make life less stressful and bring your state of mind back into focus. Each day we manage dozens of tasks that vary from simple to overwhelming. Learning how you can regain composure in a time of stress is often called “centering yourself.” Here are some great tips for finding your center and getting rid of unnecessary stress.
Anticipate the Stress
Stress can strike at any time, seemingly out of the blue leaving you feeling worse for the wear. The next time you start to feel stressed for overwhelmed, take a step back and assess what is triggering these feelings. Often, you can identify common patterns and learn to stop the stressor before it becomes a problem.
Focused Breathing
There are many ways in which stress manifests in the body, such as muscle tightness and increased heart rate. Whenever you feel this is happening, stop to steady your breath. Inhale for three counts, hold for another three counts, and exhale for three counts. This process usually begins to relieve stress within one minute and helps to return your body to its natural, calm state.
Mantra/Affirmation
Tell yourself “It’s okay,” “I can manage this,” or “Everything will turn out well.” Finding the right phrase may take some time but once you find the phrase that works use it as much as needed. This is also a great method to use in conjunction with focused breathing. Believe it or not, it helps trick your brain into believing that the stress is much less important and instead focuses on returning you to your normal, centered state.
Redirect Energy
Yoga is an excellent example of finding your center because it focuses on redirecting energy and focused breathing. Redirecting your energy can be as simple as standing with your feet flat on the floor, closing your eyes, and imagining yourself pushing away negative thoughts down into the floor. You can do this in almost any setting and is a great technique to reset your mood and eliminate stress.
Practice
Not all of these methods will work 100% of the time, but practice will make you more efficient and help you understand what works and what doesn’t. Using centering techniques confidently takes a lot of time and practice. Try using different techniques in many different situations until you find the best fit. The more you practice the art of centering, the more quickly you can manage your stress and be on your way to a happier and less stressful life.
