How to Lower Stress & Maintain Sanity

I have a challenge for you.

I want you think about all the places you can sit and do nothing. That’s right; do nothing, and just enjoy peace and quiet. Yes, I am “double-dog” daring you. Please, don’t get caught up in the position of doing nothing. You can sit or be lying down, kneeling, etc.. The point is you are doing nothing; you’re just being.

Where are you? Are you “chillaxing” in the grass?

 

Are you soaking in the bathtub?

 

Perhaps you visualize yourself curled up on a nice big sofa?

 

Go ahead! Make your list. It’ll be good for your mental health. Pinky promise! Come up with a list of at least five different restorative happy places. If you make it to ten and beyond, you’ll receive extra credit!

 

Here’s the purpose behind my prodding.

 Do nothing.

 

Let’s bring back the art of being still, shall we? Honor yourself and those around you by taking a small sabbatical. Soak up some silence; be still with God. Soak up silence in sunshine, in a dark room, in water. Simply soak up some sanity!

 

Treat this challenge much like the “emergency preparedness plans” we know schools generate to lower stress levels and control challenging circumstances as much as possible. Before the storms come (and they will), we need to prepare ourselves. Let’s pretend you have kids who keep you on your toes. How do you refuel? You wish you had hours but that’s not the current reality. Sometimes five minutes of breathing and soaking up one of these pre-planned special “time out” places can rejuvenate you or prevent a straight jacket. 😉

 

One of the greatest gifts we can give our self is a daily dosage of silence.

Indeed, it is golden. Sadly, silence isn’t appreciated, as it should be.

 

We can hardly leave our homes and find a restaurant without televisions mounted to walls blaring out bad news or adrenal pumping, action-packed entertainment. We can’t make a quiet trip to the Supermarket. Instead we are getting conditioned by upbeat music spurring us to buy more. The noise is everywhere.

 

We are suffering from overstimulation. What we need is a break from the noise pollution. Our minds and bodies need to enjoy the silence and regain our centeredness. We need to hear ourselves feel emotions and think and process about life.

 

It’s time to breathe deeply. We need to soak and be still.

To be reminded that life is fleeting, yet, at the same time, it’s can also be very long. We need to pace ourselves. It’s time to check in, lower our stress levels and embrace a little kindness through the silent humming airwaves of warmth.

 

It’s my deep desire that you would love yourself and others enough to identify your very own five or more quiet places of refuge. Places you know you can quickly retreat when life seems a bit awry or you need to recalibrate so you can stay in the game by being still in silence. I want to hear from you! Please tell me some of your favorite places are in the comments below.

 

Here’s to a little more sanity and less stress!