Alleviate Emotional Stress And Become Empowered
Emotional stress is something we all experience. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including circumstances beyond our control or a lack of understanding about how to cope with our feelings. Emotional stress can cause us to feel overwhelmed and exhausted, but it doesn't have to be this way. There are many ways that you can alleviate emotional stress and become empowered in the process.
Emotional Stress
Emotional stress is a normal part of life. It happens to everyone, and it’s important to remember that you will get through it. However, if your emotional stress is causing physical symptoms like migraines or stomach aches and/or mental symptoms such as anxiety or depression, as suggested by Body Works Medical Center, then you may need to explore what is taking place for you beneath the surface and why (Body Works Medical Center, 2022).
According to mind.org, emotional stress can be caused by thoughts (e.g., “I’m not smart enough for this job interview”). It can also be caused by events (e.g., getting fired from your job), relationships (e.g., dating or living with someone who treats you poorly), or other factors in your life (e.g., being diagnosed with cancer)
Identifying VS Observing Thoughts
One of the most significant key factors in managing emotional stress is to try to always observe your thoughts, rather than think about them. As an example, you can think "I want this" or "I feel this", but it's important to remember that this is just another stream of thoughts amongst many others that happen throughout the day. Observing the many different types of thoughts you have throughout your day helps you to become aware, just like you are aware of the smell and taste of coffee, or the feeling from typing on a keyboard, or even your own body as you walk across a room. They're all part of being present in the moment and observing what's happening around us (and within us), rather than going along blindly without any sense of self-awareness at all!
The same goes for emotions—you may experience sadness after hearing bad news about someone close to you; however these feelings can be put into perspective when we realise that emotions are not too dissimilar to clouds, they pass eventually (or have already passed). The trick is not to get caught up in the emotion while it is passing by. For example, when we think: "I feel sad right now because my sister is going through a really tough time" or any thought that triggers your emotions, it is worth remembering that it's only temporary and there won't be long-term consequences even if nothing else happens afterwards. If we truly understand this concept, then we'll know exactly how much stress relief there really needs to be no matter what happens next time.
Thoughts Don’t Equal Reality
Thinking is a natural part of being human. We all think, and for most people, most of the time, this isn’t a problem or cause for concern. But what if you find yourself thinking too much? You may begin to notice that your thoughts are not just random musings but actually pose a risk to your emotional well-being. In fact, it's possible that excessive thinking has become so commonplace in your life that it now feels normal—and perhaps even necessary—to be lost in thought most every day.
This can happen because our brain constantly looks for ways to make sense of our experiences - this process is known as confirmation bias (The Decision Lab, 2022). For example: If someone receives criticism from their boss at work, they might automatically assume the boss doesn’t like them (even though there could be many other reasons why the boss spoke harshly). This type of thinking quickly becomes automatic over time because we want to avoid pain and seek pleasure — which usually means avoiding situations where others might criticise us and seeking situations where others lavish praise on us!
However, this pattern also limits us emotionally since we don't allow ourselves full access. We have limited ourselves with certain beliefs about ourselves or others which stops us from being open minded towards new ideas or possibilities in life - making our life more difficult than it needs to be.
Practice Mindfulness Meditation and Breathwork
If you find yourself in an emotional state that is causing you stress, try focusing on your breathing. Focus on how it feels as air moves through your nose and into your lungs. Stay focused on the sensations of this process until they become more pronounced, slowing down as much as possible so that there is no gap between inhaling and exhaling. Instead of thinking about the problems at hand or dwelling on what has happened recently, simply focus on yourself — your breath and nothing else. You can ensure a more profound impact by choosing to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Take Care of Your Physical Health With Diet and Exercise
The power of food is undeniable. Just as mental and emotional health are important to your physical health, so is healthy eating, just as any qualified health professional will tell you. If you want to cope with stress, it's essential that you take care of yourself by eating a diet rich in nutrients from whole foods.
A good place to start is by finding out what foods resonate with you and make you feel energised. Are there some foods that make you feel bloated or lethargic? Does the thought of certain foods make your stomach turn? These are questions worth asking yourself as they might just be affecting how you feel.
Another thing to keep in mind when thinking about diet and exercise is that there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to these issues — unless of course you have an allergy or injury preventing you. The only thing that matters here is making sure that whatever works best for each individual person helps them find peace within themselves during times of duress.
There Are Many Paths To Emotional Healing
When we're stressed out, it's easy to feel alone. We might even think there's something wrong with us for feeling that way. But the truth is, there are many paths to emotional healing—and they all start with understanding that you have options!
- Meditation is one of the most effective ways to quiet your mind and release stress. It can be as simple as sitting still with your eyes closed and focusing on taking deep breaths in through your nose and slowly exhaling through your mouth until you've returned to a calm state of mind.
- Mindfulness practices like breathwork or guided meditation found in our Empowerment Series can also help you learn how to navigate emotions without being overwhelmed by them—or feeling like they have control over you. Breathwork involves using controlled breathing techniques (such as those used in Zen and yogic practices) for deep relaxation; guided meditations typically feature instructors like Sonia and Anita from Iswara who guide listeners through a relaxing journey from beginning to end so that they don't need any previous experience with meditation or breathing exercises before starting these methods.
You Have It In You to Overcome Emotional Stress
You have the power to overcome emotional stress. You can learn how to manage your emotions, feel empowered and confident, happy, and in control of your life. It is important to know that you are not alone in this struggle. Many people go through similar situations every day but they don’t have support systems or someone they can talk with such as a wellness mentor - so they keep it bottled up inside them until it gets too much.
Become Empowered
There is nothing wrong with experiencing stress or feeling overwhelmed. In fact, it's natural to feel these things at some point in your life. As long as you're doing your best to keep yourself healthy and happy, then you're on the right track! The key is learning more about how stress affects our minds and bodies so that we can better cope when it arises.
Using tools such as the Empowerment Series is the perfect first step. Comprised of over 60+ empowerment practices using meditation, mindfulness, positive psychology, subliminal strategies, you can begin your wellness journey now. Get started today or try our mini series, completely FREE at iswara.life
References
Is Stress Causing Chronic Migraines (https://www.bodyworksmed.com/blog/is-stress-causing-your-chronic-migraines)
Stress (https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/causes-of-stress/)
Why do we favour our existing beliefs? (https://www.britannica.com/science/confirmation-bias)