Take your mind off.

Stress is a term heard daily. Stress is a daily feeling, and this being true, managing stress is a daily activity that I participate in. The question for today is this. How do you get your mind off things when you’re stressed. There are two answers that I can give, and it depends on the situation. Suppose a stressful event has happened or is in the future. In that case, I have time to reflect, relax and do activities such as meditation, journaling, reading, watching movies, or walking. Now if I am in the middle of a stressful event, that is a different response. You can’t disengage from the activity, but I do find ways to get my mind off of things. One practical tactic is to start naming objects around me. I do this silently; for example, I will look at a desk and say brown desk, black light, white paper. This activity slows down the flow of stress in my body. The next tool I use is to ask what is the next decision I must make? This is as literal as possible. For example, I will not say, “ I need to get focused or get into the present moment.” I will instead say the next decision I need to make is to walk down the hall, putting my left foot first, then my right, and as I walk, I will begin to list what I am thankful for. These practical tools are ways to engage the mind and allow the stress and anxiety to flow through my body instead of circling and growing. Dealing with stress involves asking the how questions and deciding on what implementation tools you will use. How do you deal with stress?