Dealing with Stress

Whether it's deadlines creeping up on you, a tough conversation at work or even the mere fast paced nature of your day to day lives, are potential carriers for stress. I, myself am still recovering from a rough couple of weeks, wrestling my own thoughts to figure out an escape from these traps that I set on myself.

What even is Stress and Anxiety?

In psychology, stress is fit to the definition of being in a state of worry or tension, that is caused by experiencing difficult situations. The way I see it, "Stress" like most mental states, is just a by-product of the filter we view life through. Simply put, stress is caused by the inability to accept the present as it is.

"WHY?"

The reason for that is much clearer than you might think. We are inherently conditioned to always maintain the highest expectations. Even, when you feel as though you tend to set your bar fairly low sometimes, the underlying motive often remains the hope for the best outcome. Think back to last time you carried out a result intended activity, weren't you expecting the best outcome? Even at times you use the exact words, "in the worst case scenario..." aren't you really expecting the best outcome for the position you could be at some point in time?

That's the root for what we call "stress". The premeditated outcome. We keep on doing new tasks, hoping we'd achieve what someone else had already achieved, or we keep trying tasks we are already accustomed to, hoping they pan out just as good, or even better than before.

In the past couple of months I've come to learn that we can either momentarily escape stress by distracting ourselves, or address the root cause; the premeditated outcome we have in our brain. The remedy although sounds simple, needs consistent practice to achieve.
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From my experience over the past few months of my life, I've noticed that the heavy baggage we cary in our mental due to stress is significantly reduced by recalibrating ourselves to the present moment. The now. This exact instance. Recalibrating our mind to accept the present moment as it is, and not through the filters of preconceived notions. By factoring out the what could've been or what should've been, and accepting what is.

Easier said than done, but not at all unreachable. There are a few ways you could approach this, but I've found the best way for me is to do a body and environment scan inspired by the book "Gorilla Mindset" by Mike Cernovich. This is a mental exercise where you focus on the present self and present surrounding in a third person's point of view. Here's a simple breakdown,

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Sit or stand in a relaxed posture.
2. Focus on Your Breath: Close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Inhale slowly through your nose, allowing your abdomen to expand, and exhale gently through your mouth. This helps center your attention and prepares you for the exercise.
3. Begin the Body Scan: Top to bottom
   • Head and Face: Bring your attention to your head. Notice any sensations in your scalp, forehead, eyes, cheeks, and jaw. Observe areas of tension or relaxation.
   • Neck and Shoulders: Shift focus to your neck and shoulders. Feel the weight of your head resting on your neck. Notice any tightness or discomfort.
   • Arms and Hands: Move your awareness down your arms to your hands and fingers. Observe sensations like tingling, warmth, or coolness.
   • Chest and Abdomen: Pay attention to your chest and abdomen. Feel the rise and fall with each breath. Notice any tightness or ease.
   • Back: Focus on your upper and lower back. Be aware of the support from your chair or the air against your back.
   • Hips and Pelvis: Bring awareness to your hips and pelvic area. Notice any pressure or sensations from sitting or standing.
   • Legs and Feet: Finally, scan down through your thighs, knees, calves, ankles, and feet. Observe any contact with the floor and sensations like pressure or temperature.
4. Expand Awareness to Surroundings:
   • Sounds: With eyes still closed, shift your attention to the sounds around you. Identify distant and nearby noises without judgment.
   • Smells: Notice any scents in your environment, whether subtle or strong.
   • Temperature: Feel the air on your skin. Is it warm, cool, or neutral?
   • Space: Sense the space around you. Imagine the room’s dimensions and your position within it.
5. Open Your Eyes and Observe:
   • tice colors, shapes, and objects without labeling them.
   • Observe the lighting and how it affects the environment.
   • Be aware of any movement around you, such as people walking or leaves rustling.
6. Reflect on the Experience:
   • Take a moment to reflect on how your body feels after the scan.
   • Consider any changes in your mental state or emotions.
   • Acknowledge the connection between your body and environment at the present moment.

This exercise allows us to connect deeply with the present, observe it through our senses and accept it as it is, with no preconceived expectation for what it should be. Focusing your existence as a whole in this present moment allows you to realise the reality of the things you stress upon, how small and insignificant these things are compared to who you are as a person.

We stress on such small parts of life restricting our vision to self imposed boundaries, not realising that who we are as humans does not confine within what we stress upon.

Learn to let go of these limitations that restrict you from living. From living a beyond just stress.

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