Dealing with Stress Through Gratitude

Stress is a part of everyday life. Friends, family, bosses, and our own expectations can cause us lots of stress. The right amount of stress can motivate us to succeed, but too much stress can cause a break-down in our ability to function in the world. In fact, stress can disrupt sleep, life and health. That is why it is so important to manage stress effectively.

To manage stress, there are a number of things you can do. First and foremost, simply remember that most of the things we stress out about in life are actually superficial. When it is all over, and you are lying on your death-bed, you will be unlikely to be worried about the majority of things that are causing you anxiety today.

In fact, if you let go of your stressors and allow them to work themselves out, or hand them over to God or the Universe or your subconscious, they will be highly likely to be resolved with little or no effort from you.

When you choose to hand your stressors over to a higher power for resolution, you can choose to focus your mind on things that will bring you joy. When you do this, you will find that, little by little, your stressors will dissolve. Little by little, they will cease to turn up as thorns in your side.

"Every time I held a rose, it seems I only felt the thorns." Billy Joel

Choose, instead, to see the beauty and smell the fragrance. "Get up each morning and listen. Look around you. Give thanks for the sunlight and for your own body and spirit. For your family and food and the joy of living...Look carefully around you."
from Ride the Wind, by Lucia St. Clair Robson

Keep a gratitude journal to count your blessings. Before you lay your head down at night recall the three most beautiful things you have seen, smelled or touched during the day. Add them to your treasures by writing them in your journal before you sleep. You will be likely to dream about them during the night, and your eyes, heart and mind will choose to see more beautiful things during the next day.

Of course, even when you do make this conscious choice, it is possible to be blindsided by stressors. Remember that, even when a stressor takes you by surprise, you can make a conscious effort to respond rather than react. Take a few moments to be aware of your breath, count to ten, and respond in a level manner rather than flying off the handle and making a bad stress worse.

Practice a measured response on your own through daily meditation practice or prayer. In this way, when you are confronted by a stressor, you will have a calm response ready. Soon you will become known for your ability to diffuse an incendiary situation rather than feeding the flames. This is something worth remembering and being remembered for at the end of the day.

Angela Carole Brown - Gratitude Meditation (8 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84W4Lt4sgsI

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