Ever heard of the term stress management? If you live in the West, stress management is something you hear on the daily. It’s a topic that’s garnered so much attention, that you can find courses being taught about it!
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t part of the “stress management” bandwagon!
Because I too was desperate to know how to manage my stress. However, as of recently that has since changed. Inspired by a Sadhguru video, why in the world would I want to manage something (stress) I don’t want! (credit: Sadhguru YouTube channel)
If i’m gonna be managing anything, it had better be something I want in my life!
And stress is definitely not one of those. You probably already have a counter response ready for me right? “If i’m not supposed to be managing my stress, then how do I stop freaking out?” Uh huh, now we’re talking. Below are 5 tips that have done wonders in my life!
#1 Meditate For At Least 30 Minutes Everyday!
30 minutes is a minimum, 1 hour of meditation is ideal (30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the evening).
What is meditation anyways? Is it just about sitting cross legged with your eyes closed?
Meditation is the process of quieting the physical. When I say quieting the physical, I mean both the body and the mind. It’s about sitting completely still with not a single thought about anything. When you sit in such a manner you start to gain a very tiny understanding of what you truly are.
The more you meditate, the more you understand!
If you’re new to meditation, a great technique to get started is the Isha Kriya. It’s a guided meditation that lasts about 20 minutes in total. I’ve written a post sharing my thoughts about this technique. You can check that out here!
#2 Start To Take Responsibility For All Your Drama!
If just 25% of the world’s population started to take responsibility for all their thoughts, emotions, and actions, the world would be a beautiful place. What do I mean when I say take responsibility?
I mean truly understanding that your overall experience of life is totally and 100% in your control!
That doesn’t mean you won’t get dealt a bad hand! Life does that to all of us. It’s understanding that what we make of it is 100% up to us. You can either sulk and sink, or you can rise and swim. The choice is yours and will always remain yours!
Of course spelling it out like this makes it seem easier than it actually is. When things are going well, there’s no problem, but when things are going sideways, this is something that immediately becomes hard to digest.
However, if you train your mind to digest this day in day out, over time it starts to become second nature.
Eventually you reach a point in your life where outside situations or external stimuli have no impact to your wellbeing!
#3 Understand What It Is You Truly Want!
You’ve never consciously thought about what it is you truly want in life. Your idea of what you want is predominantly driven by culture. Let’s look at an example so that all this makes more sense.
That shiny new cellphone just came out this month, and it’s got all the bells and whistles. 4K cameras, super high resolution screen, and a display larger than your hand. Everyone’s talking about it, and everyone wants to get their hands on it!
Your best friend just spent his hard earned paycheck on it, and that leaves you thinking….”This phone is awesome! I must have it!”
So you go out and buy it, but then what? Not much has changed from before. Yes you are a little excited, but otherwise you feel about the same. Within 2 weeks the excitement wears off completely!
What is it that you truly want? Have you seriously understood this?
- You think you want a shiny new cellphone!
- You think you want a fancy new car!
- You think you want a big house with a beautiful family!
- You think you want expensive shoes and clothes!
I’ve got news for you…these things that you want aren’t truly what you want. Sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s the reality of it. Stop living in a fantasy and wake up!
“If new gadgets, cars, and houses are not what I want, then what do I want!?” Ahhh now we’re getting somewhere! The video below from Actualized.org (credit: Leo Gura) discusses 10 things you want that you have no idea of. I highly encourage you to watch the entire video. It will blow your mind away!
Blown away? If you’re still in 1 piece, keep reading…..there’s lots more!
#4 Become Aware Of How Compulsive You’ve Been Your Entire Life!
Compulsions, just what the heck does it mean to be compulsive. I like this definition from Cambridge Dictionary:
Compulsion: A very strong feeling of wanting to do something repeatedly that is difficult to control (source: Cambridge Dictionary).
Let’s look at some examples of compulsive behavior:
- Smoking: Isn’t this the first thing that comes to mind!?
- Eating: Compulsive eaters are just about everywhere.
- Sleeping: But you love your beauty sleep right?
- Coffee/Tea: I’ll become unpopular for this one. Morning cup of coffee got you hooked? Hehe!
The above 4 are just a few examples of things we do compulsively on a daily. I’m not saying you shouldn’t drink your coffee/tea, all I’m saying is do it consciously not compulsively. In other words, let it be a conscious choice you make every time!
So how do you stop being so compulsive?
Step 1 is you gotta become more aware of your compulsions. Awareness is something that comes with time. The more you meditate, the more aware you become. When you’re more aware, you start to see things as they are. This is particularly important because it can help you identify compulsive behavior. Once you’re able to identify them, the next step is to correct these behaviors.
It would be completely unreasonable to say you can correct all your compulsive tendencies in a couple days or weeks!
Work on it over a period of time, and you’ll start to notice a difference in how you feel both physically and psychologically. In essence, you start to become more sensitive to life!
#5 Remind Yourself That You Really Have No Purpose!
Some people think they have a “god given” purpose, or in other words, something they must work towards and accomplish while they are alive.
One says my purpose in life is to become a pilot and fly commercially. Another says my purpose in life is to become a Hollywood actor. Yet another says my purpose is to run a successful software business. Starting to get the gist?
If you look at life as it really is, you will see there really is no purpose!
We are born, we live, and one day we ultimately die. Becoming aware of one’s mortality is a good way of reminding yourself how short this journey truly is. Because of how short life is, we must spend it doing the things we love with the people we love, not creating meaningless purposes for ourselves based on societal and cultural influences!
In its essence, life is incredibly simple. It’s just you who chooses to make it complicated!
No purpose? No problem!
When you go with this mindset, you remove the restrains of being stuck to one particular thing. Now you can do everything!
In The End, Your Life Is Your Choice!
Destiny, AKA my least favorite word in the entire English language. It’s the one word you can use the cover up all your excuses!
Failed relationship? It’s not destined to be! Unsuccessful business venture? Alas, it was destined to fail! Health gone to crap? It was my destiny!
I got news for you: it’s not your destiny, it’s your excuses. In the end, your life is your choice. You can either take responsibility for your life, or you can make excuses for all the hardship. I hope you make the right choice!
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