7 Steps to Relax and Relieve Stress When Having a Stressful Day

It's time to destress and take back your day.

Wow, today was unbelievable.

I left for work 30 minutes earlier to prepare for a meeting only to get stuck in construction, which ate up the 30 min buffer I had given myself.

Deadlines at work seem to be almost suffocating and I need to get my car into the service center in the next few days.

Have you ever experienced a day like this?

For many of us, this may be almost every day with the constant multitasking and often unrealistic objectives we set for ourselves. There is a tool you can use to help you cope with days like this as it relaxes and relieves stress from our lives.

It is called Mindful Meditation.

How do I do Mindful Meditation? Before we get started on HOW, lets look at WHAT mindful meditation is:

• Mindful meditation focuses on the present moment. What are you experiencing right now? We are not trying to change anything, we are trying to capture THIS moment.

• Many people, us included, find mindful meditation to be very relaxing as you are focusing on the present and not dwelling on what happened in the past or worrying about the future.

• It is a portable tool, meaning you can take it anywhere. All you need is a comfortable place to sit or lie down to begin experiencing its benefits.

OK, You Ready to take back control of your day? Let’s get started with these 7 steps.

1. Try to find a time and place where you can meditate without being disturbed. Don’t worry about minor background noise as there will always be some distractions around unless you live in a bubble. It can be outside the office somewhere, your patio, your car.

2. Start by meditating for approximately 10 minutes at a time. You can always increase the length later or lessen. We generally prefer the mornings when things seem to be a little quieter.

3. Remind yourself that you are going to focus on the present. All other worries, getting the kids lunches together, sitting in traffic, responding to the plethora of e-mails in your inbox will still be there when you are done so no need to focus on them now.

4. Now, let’s find a comfortable place to sit or lie down if that feels better to you. Closing my eyes seems to work best for us but have also kept them opened and gazed towards the floor when sitting and not focusing on anything in particular.

5. Focus on your breathing, not by trying to change it but by being aware of how air is flowing through your nose and mouth and into your chest and lungs and back out again. Take long breaths.

6. If during your meditation you start to lose focus, try to let that thought go, and bring your focus back to the present moment and your breathing. Until you are practiced in mindful meditation this will most likely occur many times over the 10 min session.

7. During your meditation, you may feel certain emotions, such as anger, impatience, sadness, or happiness. Don’t let the thoughts that these emotions conjure derail your session as they are all part of the present. Instead, focus on your breathing and the feelings themselves, rather than the thoughts they solicit.

Overtime you will determine this process becomes more natural for you. Just enjoy the 10 minutes of quiet alone with intent of focusing on your breath and soon you'll be a pro.

Now go and practice your 10 minutes of mindful meditation and revel in taking back your day.

Leah Scott & Justin Andrade founded Upgrade Your Joy. A program that educates you on how to bring more joy into your relationships through small daily actions. They live in Carlsbad, CA. with their 3 boys and are enjoying life and having fun one day at a time.

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