Day 3 Where Do You Store Your Stress?
Today we are focussing on where you keep stress in your body. Regardless of how you get through a stressful situation or series of stressful situations if you are chronically stressed, the effects of it will get stored in your body somewhere. We perceive it as pressure which gradually builds up in your body. That’s one of the most insidious things about stress, it sneaks up on you gradually and quietly until one day it’s all a bit too much and we find ourselves with constant headaches, in floods of tears without really knowing why or with gut disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome – they are all ways in which our mind is trying to get our attention, encouraging us to modify our behaviour so your body can get on with what is does best – regeneration and repair.
So why does understanding where you keep your stress help so much? If you know how stressed you are, you can take action and repair what has been done, modify your lifestyle (even temperarily) so your mind has the space it needs to sort your body out. One of the ways of doing that is by assembling your body map (instructions are on page 42 of the book, Reduce Your Stress – Your 7-Day Turnaround Programme: visit the shop at www.TurquoiseRay.com to get your copy).
You can also do a quick body scan by becoming aware of each part of your body. Ask yourself:
- how do my feet feel?
- how do my legs feel?
- how does my back feel?
- how does my stomach feel?
- how does my chest feel?
- how does my throat feel?
- how do my neck, shoulders and arms feel?
- how does my head feel?
- how does my face and jaw feel?
Note wherever you find tension, and give yourself the instruction for that part to relax. For example, back relax. Keep doing this exercise and you will feel your body relax, even if it’s just a little bit. The more often you do this, the more your body will respond and the easier you will find it to relax your body on command. Remember Day 1? Relaxation is the antidote to stress.
By taking time to get the tension out of your body, building in relaxation and letting go of the things that are worrying you, you can live a stress-free life!
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