Peace of Mind: Tips to Quiet the Mind and Relieve Stress

Have you ever felt like your brain will not be quiet?  I’ve had a real struggle with this for a lot of my life.  Whether my mind is obsessed with worries or involved in creative brainstorming, sometimes it will not leave me alone!  While I get a real high when my brain starts off on a creative spiral, I’m not so crazy about the nervous system overload that comes with it.  Anxiety and sleeplessness get old very fast.   Over the last few years, I’ve done a  much better job of stopping myself before I get caught in a mental frenzy of activity.  Today, I have a confession to make…I fell off the wagon. 

Thankfully, Spirit intervened, bringing me a vision to get me back on track.  As I’ve talked to many others who have been suffering with the same problem, I thought I should share what I learned. 

So here’s my vision…The first thing I saw was a nest of sea turtle eggs.  I watched as they all hatched and these adorable, tiny turtles started making their way to the ocean.  I felt this wonderful elation followed by panic.  How could I possibly get all these wonderful creatures to the ocean safely? 

The message was that I couldn’t.  The reality is that only a few sea turtle hatchlings actually live to become full grown sea turtles.  The same is true for my ”brilliant” ideas. Only a few of those ideas are meant to manifest right now and I’ll have plenty of time to nurture them to fruition (at least I will if I stop running frantically around the beach trying to scoop up baby turtles!).   

In case you’ve found yourself with an unending to do list and a brain that won’t turn off, I thought I’d post a few tips to bring back your peace of mind.  Give them a try!   

TIPS TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ANXIETY AND STRESS

Pay attention to your body.  The best defense to help yourself avoid moving into a stressed out, anxious state of being, is to notice how your body feels.  Get in the habit of regular check ins.  Ask yourself:  How does my stomach feel?  How about my muscles?  Is my jaw tense?  If you are feeling any discomfort, then take a deep breath and work on relaxing your muscles.  Make yourself set aside what you are working on until your body returns to a more relaxed state.  Believe me, it is worth the time.

Turn off your work mind by 7PM.  It is really important to get a good night sleep.  One of the keys to sleeping well is to avoid giving your mind lots of juicy things to think about right before you are telling it to shut down for the night.  Make a firm cut off time (at least a couple hours before you go to sleep) to drop any serious topics or work items and stick to it.  Do something relaxing before you fall asleep.  I find it helpful to visualize all the stresses of the day washing off me in a gentle lake or at the beach.  Pick something that is soothing to you and make it part of your nighttime ritual. 

Exercise.  I’ve never been a very gung ho exerciser, but a couple of years of living with anxiety completely changed my opinion about its importance.  The bottom line is that exercising reduces stress hormones.  A walk outside.  Time on an exercise machine.  Yoga.  Playing a sport.  All of these things help to get you out of your head and into a more relaxed and comfortable body. 

Yoga Mudras.  I think Sabrina Mesko should hire me to handle her publicity.  Honestly, I am a HUGE fan of yoga mudras and I own all of Sabrina’s products (check out my Amazon store in the blogroll if you’d like to get your own copies).  Her three minute hand postures are amazingly powerful.  They really do help to shift the energy, calm the body and the mind, and bring you to a peaceful state of being.  I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Listen to Relaxation CD’s and/or peaceful music.  I escaped my two years of anxiety Hell through the wonders of a technique called nervous system settling.  When I finally understood that what was happening was simply nervous system overload and my constant mental gymnastics to bring it under control were actually increasing my anxiety, I had what I needed to end the cycle.  I learned about this technique from Gary Peterson, an author and nervous system expert.  He has a great CD to help you settle your nervous system.  You can purchase it at http://www.Energiabooks.com or  learn more about it on his website:  http://www.StarInstitute.us.  Besides his CD, I find relaxing music to be very helpful to soothe my overactive mind.  Enya is a favorite artist of mine.  Find something you enjoy and put it on the next time you find yourself overthinking. 

Get some help.  Sometimes it helps to talk with someone objective to get things back in perspective.  Talk with a good friend, a counselor, or make an appointment with me!  As I’ve explained, I’ve had lots of practice with this, not only with myself but with many clients.   To purchase a life coaching reading, visit my website: http://www.EmpoweringLightworkers.com. 

 Here’s to peace of mind for us all!

Nancy

Nancy Nicholas is an Intuitive Life Coach who empowers her clients to overcome feelings of powerlessness and to make changes to create a life they love.  To learn more about her services and products, visit her website: http://www.EmpoweringLightworkers.  Nancy is also the owner Sanctuary at the Crossroads and Crossroads Coaching.

Holiday Self Care

Happy Holidays!

This time of year it is easy to wear yourself out.  Below are some simple tips to help you stay healthy and in balance.  Best wishes for a lovely holiday season and a wonderful 2009!
Nancy

Say No when you need to.  Remember that for you to give to others, you must have time and energy for yourself.  It is not only appropriate, but necessary to say no sometimes, so you can take time to recharge.  Remember to ask for help too (both Earth plane and Angelic)!

Schedule “You Time” for one hour everyday.  Time alone to do those activities that restore your energy and enthusiasm is essential.  Put one hour a day (it can be in two half hour blocks) on your daily to do list and use the time to do activities that help you feel good.  You’ll be amazed at how much more energy you will have to share with others.

Take care of your physical self.  Try thinking of yourself as a child you are taking care of.  You would  be sure the child was eating healthy meals three times a day, getting enough rest and exercise, and having time to play.  You need the same thing!  Include adequate time to eat, drink water, exercise and rest in your daily schedule and don’t compromise those times, especially during this busy season. 

Give yourself a mental break every 90 minutes.  This is an amazing strategy that really works.  The key to this strategy is to not only take a physical break, but to also take a mental break from whatever you are doing.  Often, we are physically “resting” but our minds are still “working” which means we are still using a lot of energy.  Try doing a yoga mudra (see below), stretching, eating an energy bar, listening to peaceful music, saying a positive affirmation (“I am relaxed and peaceful” for example) or going for a quick walk for at least 5 minutes every 90 minutes during the day.  Even five minutes of “mental rest” every 90 minutes will make a huge difference in the amount of energy you will have by the end of the day. 

Reward yourself once a week.  Remember when you were a kid and you’d get a present or a special treat?  Do you remember how fun that was?  Well, now that you are all grown up, it is time to start giving a special treat to yourself.  You deserve it!  Make a list of simple things that make you feel good or that you enjoy.  Keep the list handy and pick one thing a week to buy or do for you.  Maybe pick out a special Christmas gift for yourself and put it under the tree.  Remember this doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.  Even scheduling time for a half hour nap on a Sunday afternoon can make a big difference in how you feel.  The point is to remind yourself that you are taking good care of you! 

Try this yoga mudra from Sabrina Mesko to help you recharge!  From Sabrina Mesko’s Cards: Yoga for the Hands~ Preventing Burnout:  “Sit with a straight spine.  Bring your forearms up in front of you at your heart level and bend your elbows to the side.  With your palms facing the ground, fold your thumbs across the palms of each hand until they reach the bases of your fingers.  Bend your fingers slightly and touch the backs of your fingertips together, forming a V shape with your hands.  Hold for three minutes and keep the elbows from sinking.  Relax and rest.  Breath:  Long, deep and slow.”

Avoiding Burnout