How To Reduce Stress & Tension

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Non-reactive attention allows us to choose which part of any given experience to observe. We can observe the sensations of the experience, the composition of the mind, an inventory of the thoughts or the breeze on our face.

How To Reduce Stress & Tension

Learning how to be OK during the not so OK moments and months of our lives; we reduce stress and tension naturally.

“Lean into the yuk”
I’d notice that when I got sad or anxious, often the second derivative of those feelings made them doubly upsetting.  When I felt down, I also felt down that I was down. When I felt anxious, I felt anxious that I was anxious.
“Part of every misery,” C.S. Lewis wrote, is “misery’s shadow”…
the fact that you don’t merely suffer but have to keep on thinking about the fact that you suffer.”
– Sheryl Sandberg, Option B

We will always have to deal with HAVING THINGS WE DON’T WANT and NOT HAVING THINGS WE DO WANT.

At varying levels of intensity, persistence and quantity but they are sources of the underlying tension that is with most of us.

One of the many benefits of mindfulness is that we learn to be ok when things are not so OK. We learn steadiness and how to be more calm in the center of storms. We generate distance and clarity and can observe with objectivity. From here we can make better decisions, improve emotional agility and resiliency.

How mindfulness relives stress and tension

Think of the last time that you were angry or sad or worried or indignant. What did you do in those moments? Do any of these look familiar?

‘Why is this happening?’,’ Who caused this to happen?’, ‘How am I going to get myself out of this?’, ‘How can I make this change?’, ‘How will I to make this last?’

What typically  follows strong thoughts, feeling or emotions?  MORE strong thoughts, feeling and emotions!

Often we have a sore necks after a long day, a sore stomach when we are nervous, a head aches when we do not sleep enough.

Stress is manifesting as tension.

Mindfulness teaches the skill of STABLE, NON-REACTIVE ATTENTION.

Non-reactive attention allows us to choose which part of any given experience to observe. We can observe the sensations of the experience, the composition of the mind, an inventory of the thoughts or the breeze on our face.

Stable means that we can pay close attention to details and ask questions about what was noticed in general or the subject matter specifically.

Stress Relief Activites

When STABLE, NON-REACTIVE ATTENTION is intentionally turned toward an uncomfortable experience, we can choose which aspect of the experience to observe:

  1. Turn attention toward the SENSATIONS OF SADNESS
  • rather than the story of sad
  • observe in an open way. What does it feel like to be sad? What does my mind do, what does my body do?
  • insert any thought feeling or emotion and we can make this our main mindfulness practise for life!
  1. Turn attention toward the BREATH
  • When feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, full of worry, consumed by doubt.
  • Decide not to examine any particular story any longer and intentionally direct the attention toward a stable object that calms the system.
  • A way to limit negative thought patterns.
  1. Turn all attention to an EXTERNAL OBJECT IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
    1. the warmth of the sunlight
    2. the coolness of the wind
    3. the grounded experience of the earth
    4. the steps of the feet

Learn to be there, with the experience without doing everything you can do to NOT be with the experience.

Mindfulness Practise and Contemplation

Contemplation: How often do we make changes to seek comfort?

Practise Ideas

  1. Explore the sensation wanting to put a blanket on when lying on the couch. Is this the sensation of cold? What are the sensations of being cold? Are these sensations of discomfort?  What are those sensations of discomfort? Can you spot the sensations of seeking comfort? Put the blanket on and explore the sensations of having the blanket over you.  Feel  and explore those sensations for a while to enhance the positive experience and build new neural channels.
  2.  How often to we find ourselves scratching an itch before we even notice the itch? Explore the sensations of having an itch. Can we notice the sensations of an itch before we act? Explore these sensations. Explore the impulse to want to relive the itch.

Study:  How mindfulness is associated with lower pain sensitivity.