Stress free at the end of the year
December is the month of celebrations, but also the month of stress. It is a festive moment, of strong socialization, in which we feel a great demand to be or appear happy. We have to be in tune with a stage of cycle closures, Christmas celebrations and much more. In short, it is a difficult time of the year, in which demands increase in all areas of our daily lives.
Job closures, academic finals, the organization of the parties, the planning for the coming year, among other things, mean that our capacity to respond is overwhelmed. The feeling of exhaustion and irritability in the face of so many obligations are common signs that usually alert us when the stress of the end of the year is affecting us. But also the lack of attention and even memory failures can be symptoms of the high level of stress that we face in these times.
How does stress affect our mind?
Moderate levels of stress can be energizing and stimulating to the brain, as can be the case when faced with a new challenge at work or tackling a new project. The problem is that prolonged and high levels of stress can have negative effects on memory and problem solving, causing us to make more mistakes and therefore be more stressed.
How can we avoid or reduce it?
The prevention and management of stress are key to achieving an adequate occupational balance and promoting well-being in the psychological and physical state. That is why I share the following tips to avoid or reduce stress.
Take an active pause. For example, prepare an infusion and when taking it, savor it with full attention. Take five minutes to ingest it and do nothing more than give us that time to drink the infusion. What do I feel? What does this flavor remind me of?
Set the clock five minutes in advance. Before entering a meeting we will be five minutes ahead. In those minutes, focus your attention on your breathing. Just focus on the cycles of inhalation and exhalation. This will allow us to enter the meeting focused and focused on the objective.
Morning meditation. Sit on the bed or in a chair in a comfortable position. Keep your back straight and the soles of your feet flat on the ground. Begin to breathe consciously. Mentally counting each ventilation cycle. I inhale... I exhale... 1... I inhale... I exhale... 2... Continue in this way until you reach number 40. If you get lost beforehand, don't worry, just focus on your breathing and continue breathing, bringing the air to the abdomen without straining, respecting the breathing rhythm. As the days of doing this practice pass, you will be able to do without counting your breaths and you will have those five morning minutes of calm and finding yourself. Also in a previous post, we have seen the benefits of practicing morning yoga, you can take it into account as another possible and recommended option.
When we have breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner, take a moment stopping to connect with the food, observing and perceiving its aroma, texture and taste.
Plan, set goals and priorities. It is essential to manage time well and be able to allocate moments for a break during the day in order to restore our balance.
Remember that all these tips require training and discipline. I assure you that they will not only help you reach the end of the year in a more pleasant way, but you can also apply them during the year to improve in all aspects of your life.
I will be very happy to read your comments and know if you have any other tips to reduce stress that you want to share.