Quick Stress Reduction

For the last couple of months, I’ve been talking a lot about relaxing as deeply as you can in order to really connect with your inner mind and manifest the things you want.

On the surface, it sounds so easy, but when you get right down to it, it’s not always as easy as it sounds.

For instance, let’s say that money has been tight, and you’re 3 months behind on your rent or mortgage.

Most folks in this situation have a hard time relaxing, even to the point where they can’t sleep! Their minds are constantly trying to answer the questions, “How can I get out of this mess? What can I do to get the money I need?”

Talk about a stressful situation!

Here’s another one. Let’s say that you and your spouse have been at each others throats, fighting about this, that, and the other thing, to the point where you just don’t want to go home after work.

Or maybe it’s your boss you’ve been fighting with, and you’d give practically anything to quit and go somewhere else, where the people you work with actually appreciate you.  Except, you don’t know where else to go.

At one point or another, I’ve been in all of these situations, so I know what it means to be stressed.

Some folks in these types of situations try to relieve the stress by drinking, or using drugs, or maybe even indulging in sinfully delicious foods that do more to pack on the pounds than heal the emotional wounds inside.

So, what’s the answer?

If distraction only numbs the pain for a short time, but doesn’t actually solve the problem, then the answer must be to do something to solve the problem.  But since most folks in these stressful situations are ALREADY trying to solve the problem (unsuccessfully), doing more of the same isn’t going to change anything.

Which leads us to the idea that if doing more of the same isn’t going to work, then we must do something different.  But what?

Here’s what got me out of the worst of these situations. It’s an odd affirmation that doesn’t measure up to what is traditionally taught, but it worked nonetheless.

“It’s not as bad as I think it is.”

The reason it worked for me is because the source of my stress was a belief that the situation was bad. Very bad. And was only going to get worse.

By focusing on the idea that the situation wasn’t as bad as I thought it was, my mind opened to the possibility that I might have misjudged the situation, and that there might be a chance that things could work out okay.

Let me repeat that.

When you open your mind to the idea that you may have misjudged the situation, and that things might work out okay, EVEN IF YOU DO NOTHING, the stress goes away.

Maybe not all at once, but it does soften up a bit.

Look at it this way. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe your assessment of the situation was a mistake.  It can actually be a wonderful feeling to know that your situation might be a lot better than you think it is.  Maybe a new opportunity will show up tomorrow.

You never know.

Instead of focusing on what might go wrong, how about focusing on what might go right?  No. you don’t have to pretend that everything is hunky-dorey when it isn’t. Just be open to the possibility that things could get better.  And then, while in that space, consider what you could do to be ready for the possibility if and when it comes.

Or, better yet, use the time of reduced stress to make contact with your deeper mind, where you are connected to the Divine Mind, to get ideas about what you can do.  You just might be surprised at the wisdom you have within yourself.

One more thing to consider.

I was a straight-A student in school. Math and science were my best subjects.  And yet, the ideas I get from my deeper mind are, 9 times out of 10, better than what I come up with consciously.

Give your deeper mind a chance to help you.