Mindfulness for Stress Reduction
Stress: an inevitable part of your day…
An exhausting job, a rocky relationship, poor finances, kids fighting. It feels like there is no way out.
Irrational thinking, pessimism, negative self-talk, unrealistic expectations – you cannot accept the uncertainty these bring.
Constant demands and perceived threats – you kick into fight or flight as a way to cope.
Little by little, it wears you down.
Sometimes, you feel it coming. Other times, it creeps up.
Your body feels off. Your mood swings back and forth. Bad behaviors take over.
Unintentionally, you reach for comfort in things that seem right at the moment but eventually become unhealthy habits: food, substances, and the wrong people.
Avoidance of stressors leaves us overwhelmed with emotions and reactive. Unable to release feelings leads to lashing out, angry outbursts, or reclusiveness. Communication breaks down.
Over time, stress becomes chronic and negatively affects your health – depression, anxiety, re-traumatization, heart disease, eating disorders, and diabetes, to name a few.
You push on because you “have no choice.”
It feels like the right thing to do, doesn’t it?
Maybe it’s fear of missing out? Constant connectivity puts pressure to be “on” despite your feelings.
Do you multitask? Fooling yourself that you have to do it all at the same time. Whether work or home, perfection leads to burnout.
You don’t prioritize. Feeling pulled in different directions leave you unfocused.
You can’t relax! Balancing work and down time isn’t happening.
But you DO have a choice!
What if you could calm and stabilize your life whenever you wanted?
You CAN!
Mindfulness and stress reduction combine traditional therapy with relaxation skills simultaneously to ease your body and mind. These skills have been proven by research to work!
Instead of focusing on your past or future, you’ll learn to get in touch with yourself in the present moment.
Here’s how it works…
You’ll learn skills and techniques to lower your heart rate, blood pressure, nervous system activity, and stress hormones.
Here are some of the “mindfulness” techniques you’ll learn and their benefits:
Body scan: Powerful and healing. Intentionally moving our attention through the body, noticing our sensations relaxes from head to toe. Want to release tension? This will help you. Both physically and mentally. It is proven to help insomnia, fatigue, and inflammation.
Meditation: A simple way to reduce distress and increase balance. Even a brief few minutes can restore inner peace. And anyone can practice. No equipment is required! You can implement it no matter where you are – focusing your attention and eliminating jumbled thoughts prevent stress and promote physical and emotional well-being. And the results will last you throughout your day!
Breathwork: Inhaling and exhaling can bring improvement to your mental state. Various breathing exercises are fun, easy, and give you control. Toxins are released when you breathe out, and your mind and body are nourished as you breathe in, creating calm.
Letting go: Hard to accept but freeing. Even if the past is full of pain, focusing on what’s happening right now helps us regulate our emotions. This is resilience, the ability to bounce back from challenges. This is a conscious effort to refocus and redirect our lives.
Being nonjudgmental: Open yourself to new experiences. This is what life’s about, isn’t it? Subconsciously labeling ourselves is not the pathway forward. Learn to set judgment aside and instead try new things, find new interests, meet new people, and enrich your life.
Practicing patience and acceptance: Ready to assert your own needs? Accepting who you are and your circumstances will increase confidence in your decision-making during challenging situations. This leads to healthier relationships and self-satisfaction in knowing ourselves better. Imagine living following our chosen values vs. those others put upon us.
Mindful eating: Slowing down and increasing awareness of how and what you eat can change your relationship with food. Imagine being able to learn your hunger and fullness cues. Enjoy your meals, support weight loss goals, reduce stress, aid digestion, reduce binging and make better choices with this meditative skill.
Gratitude: Giving thanks can make you happier. Powerful and selfless, it enables the release of strong emotions. It strengthens relationships, improves physical and mental health, reduces aggression, and builds self-esteem. This is a simple skill that can help you enjoy life.
Using your senses: Want to get to know yourself better? Our senses allow us to become more aware of ourselves and the environment and play a vital part in creating memories. You can enjoy good experiences more and filter out bad ones.
When you reduce your stress, you improve your life.
Make better decisions…
Instead of impulsive reactions, you can align your intentions with your behaviors. Feeling comfortable knowing you have taken the time to identify needs, limits, and trade-offs is beneficial.
Feel more confident…
Knowing you are in control allows you to set boundaries, gain respect and build solid connections with others. Being able to build a support system and a fulfilled life is inspiring.
Minimize negative thinking…
Because that’s what’s making you feel hopeless and anxious. Noticing poor patterns and consciously removing yourself from them can help you become an optimist.
Being mindful means being aware.
Eliminate bad habits…
Accepting them is step one. Understanding the root causes is next. Setting intentional goals will keep you accountable. Committing to fixing stuck behaviors is work but can help you succeed and sustain a good life.
Are you ready to take control and restore peace?
This may sound new, different, or uncomfortable to you.
But these are proven techniques.
I will be patient, meet you where you are, and teach you at a comfortable pace to take advantage of these life-changing tools.
I am here to help. Call now, and let’s schedule your free 15-minute consultation: (516) 446-8910.