By Angela Adams
We have all been there. We are stuck in traffic; the kids aren’t cooperating: the dog had a potty problem all over the house…and we are now LATE. We are stressed out, angry, weepy, and/or any other combination of emotions
because we were supposed to be in at an appointment by a certain time and now we aren’t going to make it!
Now, we all know that not everything is preventable, but there are some things we can do to make them less likely to happen. Take traffic for example. Leaving five to ten minutes earlier than you had originally planned can help prevent you getting caught in traffic. Perhaps watching/listening to the traffic report on your way to your appointment so you will know what’s ahead of you on the roadways.
However, none of that matter now, you are still running late for your appointment, what do you do? Well for starters CALL YOUR APPOINTMENT! This is just a common courtesy and it also lets them know not to book over you or leave because they think you aren’t coming. Now that you have informed your appointment, just take a deep breath and try and relax.
The following are some ways you can help relax and defeat stress right on the spot. Caution! Some of these techniques should not be practiced if YOU are the one driving to the appointment.
1.) Meditate – This does not mean you need to sit cross legged on the floor and start saying “omm”. Simply repeating any action that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment is considered meditation.
2.) Picture Yourself Relaxed – Pretty self-explanatory, just taking a moment to picture in your head that you are somewhere peaceful and relaxing.
3.) Breathe Deeply – Take slow deep breathes in through your nose and slowly back out of your mouth. Doing these exercises several times will increase the amount of oxygen coursing through your body and will bring down your heart rate and blood pressure.
4.) Observe Your Surroundings – Observe the peaceful things around you,
such as birds chirping or the peaceful sound of wind blowing through the trees.
5.) Drink Hot Tea – Not everyone likes hot tea but it’s the same principle as drinking a glass of warm milk. The warmth is actually what is soothing and relaxing.
6.) Spread the Love – Snuggle with your pet or give your friends or family members a big hug!
7.) Time-Out – Sometimes we just need to take ourselves out of the equation for a little while so that we can view what is happening from a different perspective.
8.) Contract and Relax – Contract and relax your muscles, this can kind of trick your body into letting the stress go. You can contract and relax the muscles in your face or even grip the steering wheel as tight as you can and then relax.
The next time you are faced with a stressful situation just remember these few simple steps and if you come up with any other helpful ways let us know!
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