Have you been feeling a little emotional and stressed lately?

We all go through times in our lives where we are feeling a little more vulnerable or fragile and that’s okay! Please don’t beat yourself up if this has been going on for you or you have noticed this in your teenager.

We are going through a pretty crazy time in the world right now and this energy is definitely having an impact on all of us.

Just remember, when you are feeling upset, anxious overwhelmed……that they are just emotions and these emotions are just energy we are feeling in our body.  Your emotions are just letting you know you have shifted out of alignment.

You see, we never eradicate the feelings of stress in our lives because we are always expanding and evolving….and when we are moving out of our comfort zone the growing pains can be uncomfortable.

So, the important thing is to learn different ways to MANAGE OUR STRESS so that it doesn’t take over and lead us down that slippery slope of ongoing anxiety and overwhelm……

What I have found that has helped me with anxiety is to practice the simple techniques I refer to in this article on a daily basis and then weave them in throughout my day (regardless of how I am feeling) so that my body continues to feel calm and focused.

This actually teaches your body and nervous system that this is your new ‘normal’ way of living……in a calm non-reactive state.

So when you actually experience a challenge or drama in your day, these techniques become your ‘go to’ practice to shift your energy quickly.

Here are a few…

1) BREATH

I know, you hear this all the time, but the breath is absolutely key to shifting your energy fast because when you take DEEP BREATHES it immediately switches your nervous system from fight and flight to calming your nervous system.

Inhale deeply and focus on the word PEACE 1, 2, 3, 4… pause briefly… exhale fully and focus on the word CALM  1, 2, 3, 4… repeat.

2) FOCUS

When you are feeling anxious you are either focusing on the INTERNAL overwhelm where your thoughts are running wild with worry and predicting all the things that could go wrong or things that went wrong in the past…

Or, you are focusing EXTERNALLY on what other people are doing, comparing yourself and focusing on the should’s and have to’s and feeling the pressure to keep up……

The key is to bring attention and FOCUS back to ONE POINT ONLY.

Whether that’s the breath as I mentioned above or a single sensation such as tapping on the side of your hand.

The fingertips of one hand tap on the opposite hand (down from the pinky finger) and along the side while breathing deeply. This takes your focus to the tapping while also calming your heart meridian.

3) GROUNDING

When you experience anxiety and panic attacks the energy is often up in your head, throat and upper chest. You feel the shallow breathing (which is actually stimulating the fight and flight response even more) and constricted throat, finding it difficult to express yourself.

The best way to draw that crazy energy down is to ground it into the earth.

Get out in nature (optimal) and breathe deeply and stamp your feet on the ground – there are receptors on the soles of your feet that are activated when you stamp your feet and help with connecting your energy back into the earth.

You can also walk, run or do any exercise you like to move this energy through your body.

4) RELEASING TENSION

Focus on what you are feeling in the moment? Sadness, anger, overwhelm, disappointment……HONOUR THESE FEELINGS, don’t push them down or try and ‘snap out of it’.

Now focus on where you are HOLDING TENSION IN YOUR BODY. Is it your chest, throat, stomach, head………

Close your eyes, Inhale deeply and see and feel a white light flowing to that part of your body (holding the tension) and as you exhale allow the light to expand in that part of your body and release the tension. Do this for several breathes until you are feeling more relaxed in your body.

Now show these simple techniques to your child or teenager and have them practice them each day……before they leave the house maybe…

These are resources they can use anytime they wish throughout their day to shift their stress or just to feel more grounded and uplifted.