While stress is a natural part of life, it can be damaging if left unchecked. Increased stress can cause sleep problems, hormonal disruptions, impulsive behaviors, and chronic diseases over time.
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more aware and in-tune with your thoughts and feelings as you strive to find your place in the world.
Here are six ways you can use mindfulness to reduce stress.
Use Journaling to Reframe Your Day
When people think of journaling, they often picture someone writing a diary of the events of their day. Journalling doesn’t have to be a long-lasting activity or a play-by-play of the day’s events.
You can use a journal as a tool to reframe your day and end on a positive, stress-free note.
Buy yourself some visually appealing stationery online and set aside five minutes each day to write. Start each session by writing at least one thing that you’re grateful for from the day. If
there’s something bothering you, write it down then reframe it into a positive.
For example, your house is messy, and it makes you feel overwhelmed. What’s the positive of this situation?
Your house is messy because you’re busy working to support your family and pay for vacations and quality experiences.
By reframing, you’re able to focus on the positive in a situation that’s causing you stress, giving you something more uplifting on which to focus your energy.
Use Time Management and Blocking Apps
If you find yourself saying, “I don’t have time” for things you want to do, you’re not alone. Practicing mindfulness doesn’t mean having killer willpower— you can use tools to help.
Download some time management apps to see how much time you’re spending scrolling mindlessly on social media.
If you start to audit your day, you might discover that you’re wasting more time on low-value activities than you thought.
Use blocking apps to limit your daily scrolling so that you become more aware of your actions.
Get Back to Nature
There’s a theory called biophilia that suggests a deeper connection between humans and living things found in nature. The idea is that by getting back to nature, we can connect with the world and disconnect from stress.
There have even been studies of the practice of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, that show a direct correlation between being natural surroundings and stress-reduction.
Set aside time every week to get back to nature. This could be anything from an unplugged picnic in the park to an early-morning hike through the woods.
Breathe in the natural air and notice the feel of the earth, the sounds of the birds, and the beauty around you.
Limit Negative Self-Talk
Negative self-talk is that voice in our heads that highlights our short-comings.
The first step to limiting negative self-talk is to recognize when it occurs. When you recognize yourself falling into this pattern, stop and correct the language.
For example, thinking, “I’m a failure and can’t get this right,” change it to, “I’m trying my best and will improve.”
With practice, you’ll eliminate negative self-talk and re-wire your brain to think positively first.
Practice the Five-by-Five Rule
When you find yourself in a stressful situation, you can practice mindfulness using the five-by-five rule. Ask yourself whether this situation will be a problem five years from now.
If the answer is no, give yourself five minutes to be stressed and then let it go.
Learn to Troubleshoot Your Stress
Finally, learn to troubleshoot your stress. Dive into the situation and explore it through a series of questions:
- What’s causing this stress?
- Why is it stressing me so much?
- Is this situation within my control?
- If so, what can I do to correct it?
By diving into the cause of your stress and analyzing it, you’re training yourself to disconnect emotionally and take a logical approach to problem-solving.
With these six techniques, you can start a daily mindfulness practice that helps you manage the stress of daily life in a healthier, more productive way