Is meditation a sustainable solution for relieving stress?
Defining stress is not easy, and often it doesn't quite match our usual understanding of it. Simply put, stress can be summarized as a natural adaptive reaction to an event. The body reacts instinctively to an incident, regardless of its severity, and of course, the mind is also involved. Faced with what we commonly call a stressful situation, we assess the situation, the threat it represents, and we think about how to resolve the problem.
As an example is worth a thousand words, imagine you leave your house to go to work and it's raining. Oops, that wasn't in the forecast! It's a bit of a surprise, but it does have some consequences . Changes occur in your body: your heart rate increases slightly, your muscles tense, your breathing quickens. In short, your resources are mobilized to cope and find a solution to this unexpected event that disrupts your routine. Luckily, no one else brought the only umbrella this morning! Here, this object plays an " anti-stress " role because you know you'll hardly get wet.
Stress is therefore a normal and useful feeling that dictates our way of life in order to find a solution to each problem. However, its repetition and intensity are the main factors that transform "good stress" into an insurmountable ordeal.
Stress, a devastating burden
Why am I stressed?
It is very difficult to determine when our stress begins to negatively influence our lives. Certainly, it is an important element for making reasoned decisions, but an excess of it can have considerable repercussions on our well-being and thus disrupt our balance .
Excessive stress can stem from various sources. No one experiences or reacts to tension in the same way . Therefore, it's difficult to pinpoint the causes, partly because they vary , but also because it's often the result of an accumulation of minor annoyances and other daily worries that lead to this infamous stress.
To give some examples of causes that can potentially lead to physical or mental disorders, we have listed below some possible causes of stress:
- Increased workload
- Stressful period at work or at home
- An environment not conducive to his personal development
- Lack of time for oneself
- Relationship difficulties
- transitional phase of your children
This list is not valid for all types of disturbances, but if it can help you become aware of your condition which seems anxiety-provoking and abnormal, we will have already taken a step together!
How we deal with all of this depends on each individual and their approach to problem-solving. We are all different and react in our own way , largely based on our personal experiences . For example, when our workload increases, many of us will double our efforts and commit to working even harder. This burden may lessen over time, but there can be repercussions ! Your body and mind will not escape unscathed from this hard work.
To achieve a balance between well-being and stress , we want to introduce you to a simple and easy-to-remember image: the scale .
Find your well-being balance
Visualizing stress has never been so difficult, but it's true that we can define it as a kind of balance that's important to keep in equilibrium . On one side of the balance are the causes of stress . There are many different elements that can trigger very distinct stressful situations for each of us. On the other side are all the factors that make us happy —those things that stimulate us and prevent us from thinking about all our problems.
If you consider this famous balance to be in equilibrium, your risk of excessive stress is reduced. You have managed to find a happy medium between managing your stress and pursuing the personal activities that motivate you. Therefore, it's not a problem if your workload increases as long as enough positivity counterbalances the rest. On the other hand, if the sources of stress suddenly intensify while the good times don't, then the balance is likely to tip in the wrong direction and cause an excessive level of tension .
These two categories can be called " Load " and " Capacity ." They must be kept in balance . Positive activities and situations will have a beneficial effect, while negative things will have a more moderate influence on our lives. To achieve this balance, it is essential to take time for oneself .
10 minutes a day: the beneficial effects of meditation
Get rid of harmful thoughts
A simple and effective solution that suits many women around the world seeking well-being is meditation .
Negative thoughts occupy too much of our consciousness. Numerous scientific studies over the years have demonstrated the benefits of meditation in reducing stress levels for many individuals of all ages and from all walks of life. In a stressed person, these " gray clouds " can affect their well-being and prevent them from performing quality work, or even lead to more dramatic consequences for their mental state ! The results of these studies confirm that meditation helps create mental protection and alleviates anxiety.
Training your mind to quiet your thoughts allows for better control of your emotions and helps you be less prone to dwelling on negative thoughts. By practicing meditation regularly , we are able to change our perspective, more easily accept the troubles that come our way, and let go of our daily worries.
Strengthening the connection between body and mind
The effects of meditation produce numerous changes in a brain that meditates regularly. The connection between reason and " fear " gradually begins to weaken. Here, what we call fear refers to the anxieties that overwhelm us when we are confronted with sudden complications or a problem that seems insurmountable. Simply put, it diminishes the power that fear can have over us and partly explains why anxiety decreases when we meditate regularly.
The consequences of this activity are straightforward. Meditation facilitates data processing and allows for a more serene assessment of potentially dangerous situations. Instead of reacting instinctively under stress, we are much calmer and able to pause and reflect in order to make a more rational decision .
To get you started, we've found a video that will allow you to begin a short session to refocus on yourself and finally manage to take some time for yourself .
Happy meditating!
