Stress — today's number 1 cause of discomfort, exhaustion and illness or simply the question: What am I doing wrong? Don't let it get that far and do something good for yourself immediately, if you find your mood back on the downward trend.

Stress arises when we have too many thoughts in our heads that distract us from the here and now. Thoughts about things that have to be done in order to be able to do 1, 2, 3 and 4 so that A, B, C or D does not happen. That would be a catastrophe! Do you know these roller coaster rides in your mind? It's the roller coaster in your head that develops when you lose the ground under your feet.

We are so much on the move in our minds that we forget ourselves completely. We cut ourselves off from our true self by no longer feeling what it is now. Instead, we give the power to our mind, which puts us under pressure.

What is stressing us?

A: Stress immediately has a negative effect on our immune system because we are cut off from ourselves and ignore our needs.

B: Stress makes us think faster and faster because we want everything behind us as quickly as possible.

C: Persistent stress reduces our joie de vivre because we are far too busy to notice the beauty of everyday life and value it.

D: Stress influences the quality of our social contacts because we are less present and engaged.

E: What is much worse: stress prevents the absolutely health-promoting contact to our true self because we only think instead of feel.

Surely, this list can continue endlessly. You will surely remember some negative consequences of stress, which you know from your environment.

What can you basically do when you are trapped in the rat race?

1. Changing Your Beliefs

Are you really trapped in a “rat race”? Isn't it perhaps your own or the “unchangeable rat race” out there? And are you really trapped in it? Who says you can't jump out immediately? For 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 day,
1 week! One year? When you feel trapped, you feel like a victim that cannot change anything. But if you believe that you have built this rat race yourself, you can leave it now and anytime.

2. Recognize Your Possibilities

If you understand that you can get out at any time instead of having to keep moving, you immediately start thinking about your options. When is the best time to quit? At what speed? And what do I have to consider? Is there anything to prepare, which step do I take to get out? Can I quit immediately and follow my heart? What do I do when I have quitted? What awaits me? Who will I be then?

3. Dare Your Take-Off

Once you have explored your possibilities or simply follow your impulse, you just jump out of the stress loop. After you have orientated yourself in the new situation, you will probably ask yourself after a short time why you didn't dare to quit long ago. Or you don't remember exactly what has kept you so stressed. Anyway, you will immediately feel more relaxed.

Stress can always immediately grab you and carry you away, even in a relaxed life situation. Small techniques and rituals will help you to get back to a neutral resting point immediately. Even if you only take a break from your rat race, it will give you balance in everyday life and the good feeling of not having to be helplessly dragged along.

So here are

9 Ways to Reconnect with Yourself Right Away

First find a good moment to take a break. For example, finish your work step briefly so that you are satisfied and can lean back with a good feeling. Now feel with attention to your inner self, what you need or wish for now. How about a walk in the nature, movement on the yoga mat or something creative like painting? It is best to choose what corresponds to that moment and comes to your mind first. That will be most beneficial to you.

It could be something like this:

1. Going into silence and concentrate inward. How do you feel and what motivates you right now? (You can find detailed information in my other mindfulness blogs)
2. Going into the nature and observe it: The lively activity of the birds or of water — a river, the lake near you — the moving trees, etc. So now you feel like a part of the nature and forget all the stress of your artificially created thought reality.
3. Walking barefoot: when you come into contact with your bare feet, e.g. in the park, on the beach, in the garden or in your living room,
   you immediately ground yourself and recharge your batteries. Stress bye-bye.
4. Creative activities like drawing, painting or puzzling bring you immediately to your heart and let you create as you did as a child. Such things immediately shift your priorities in favour of your true nature. What is fun is you, and therefore cannot create stress. On the contrary: it fills you profoundly at this moment!
5. Playing with the dog or the cat — Do you have a pet? Enjoy this company and laugh with the animals about their jokes and their exuberance in being. They certainly don't have any stress because they constantly live in the moment, all by themselves.
6. Why don't you lie down on the yoga mat and feel your whole body, while you stretch it and slowly move it? This brings your attention completely to you and relaxes on many levels.
7. Gardening has always been a stress killer: planting flowers, repotting, cutting, arranging — every task with and in nature demands your fulfilling care and thus, promotes your well-being.
8. Everywhere you go, at the cashier's desk, in the car or at your desk, you can feel the places of physical tension and gently massage them with your own hands. The body absorbs these loving gestures as healing signals into its finest structures.
9. Just sit down comfortably, don't move and turn your full attention inwards: Ask yourself: how am I there right now? Then pay attention to the messages, images, experiences, flashes of thoughts or emotions that come into your consciousness. These are true moments with your real self that immediately let everything else around you succumb.

Surely this list can also become endlessly if you add your own favourite pastimes. These examples may inspire or remind you to take more frequent breaks and give your well-being more space. This will also help you:

• Your stress level drops basically because you take more breaks for your joyful things.
• They bring you closer to yourself because you simply do more things that give you pleasure. You will internalise these new experiences as your new true reality.
• You also get on with what you really like to do from the heart — such as painting a new picture or learning something new.
• You get to know yourself more and more, discover your needs, limits, desires and talents because you express them more and more in the breaks.

Just give it a try. The small breaks work wonders and will give you a really good feeling when you first notice how you enjoy this new real affection for yourself. You may also encounter stumbling blocks like a bad conscience or other limiting beliefs. It doesn't matter. They may be there gladly because they also need attention. They belong to you.

Everything is a way of change. Over the time, the transformation takes place and your new programs integrate for your ultimate well-being. It is best to give everything space first and look at it in peace. And you simply go through your stress-free phases — 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week or a year. Just how you can make it suitable for you.

You fancy even more insights for a more relaxed everyday life with really Yourself?

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