I don’t have to tell you we live in a world characterized by rapid change. And with this paradigm of rapid change comes ever-growing plates piled higher and higher. Most of us feel like we can’t keep up with the day before it even starts! And most of us have not developed effective, positive ways to handle the stress attached to the accelerated speed at which we are living.
In this blog, I will examine the first two of six tactics to help tackle stress. These will make a difference in the quality of your life so that the quantity of life coming at you does not negatively impact your health and peace of mind.
Physical Focus to Tackle Stress
Tai Chi
Doctors today are appreciating the benefits of Tai Chi for the stressed lifestyles we lead. When I was evaluated for anxiety by Dr. Daniel Amen of the Amen Clinic, his lead doctor gave me a list of recommendations or prescriptions to address my mood disorder. His first prescription was to increase the amount of fish oils I was taking. His second prescription was Tai Chi! Tai Chi is a Chinese form of moving meditation. It is perfectly suited to the busy person for whom simply sitting and clearing the mind is not realistically going to happen. I found it to be a perfect bridge between being frenetic and harried and being quiet and peaceful inside, no matter how busy things get on the outside. It continues to be a wonderful practice for me to maintain that stability.
There are more and more Tai Chi classes being offered in community classes, at martial arts studios and fitness clubs. Finding a group of people or a teacher with whom to practice will help you keep it together when things begin to spin faster and faster in your life.
Healthy Sleep
When your life is going ninety miles an hour, it can be very difficult to get a good night’s sleep. And yet, there is no more important time when you really need to do so. Master Chunyi Lin says this about the importance of healthy sleep:
Scientists have researched sleep for decades but they still have no idea why we sleep. They know that if we don’t sleep enough and don’t get enough quality sleep it can have a negative effect on both our mental and physical health, but they can’t find a scientific basis for why we need sleep. Scientists are also puzzled by how many hours of sleep we need each night. For many people the common belief is between 7 and 8 hours a night. But some people do very well on less while others require more. In ancient China scholars also studied sleep and came to understand that sleeping is a natural form of meditation, a natural form of qigong. Sleeping is a time our body’s energy seeks to return to balance. It’s a way of removing energy blockages and balancing your Yin and Yang energies. We all know how invaluable sleep is, but far too few of us get enough truly restful, re-balancing sleep each night.
Where do you start when you are so wound up that getting truly restful sleep is something you continue to chase? Creating some evening rituals to help you prepare for restful sleep can help. Turn off the television and computer at least an hour before retiring. Read or listen to soothing music instead. Run a warm salt bath and soak by candlelight while sipping chamomile tea. Be sure to rinse off your skin in the shower after soaking so you don’t become dehydrated. Most people with any level of mood disorders need to sleep in a darkened room. If this is not possible for you (for example, my husband likes to sleep with a lighted clock and a night light), get a lavender-scented eye pillow and sleep with that covering your eyes. It will help because of the lavender scent and because of the darkness it brings you.
Next month, I will write about the Mental Focus and the two tactics relating to it to further tackle stress.
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