Precerpt from Pathways to Inner Peace (Dreher) - stress skills
Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication) from Pathways to Inner Peace by Diane Dreher, currently available on pre-order.
STRESS SKILLS
WEEK 1, DAY 3
Today’s
practice is a two-step process you can use whenever you’re feeling stressed.
Your
natural stress reaction can help you survive in an emergency—you can run away
from a wild animal or jump out of the way of a speeding car. But most of the
time, this stress reaction does not serve you. Problems with work, home
repairs, bills, or relationships cannot be solved with the stress reaction of
fight, flight, or freeze. if your stress reaction becomes constant, it can
tense your muscles, shut down your digestive and immune systems, keep you from
thinking clearly, and compromise your physical and emotional health.
The good
news is that instead of surrendering to constant stress, you can take charge of
your life. By recognizing when you’re feeling stressed and responding more
mindfully, you can create a new reality for yourself.
Developing
your stress skills brings you a greater sense of personal control and is the
first key to building greater hope in your life (Goetzke, 2022). With all of
today’s challenges, I’m grateful that I can now recognize when I’m feeling
stressed. My muscles tense up, my heart starts racing, and I feel a sense of
urgency. Now, instead of surrendering to a cascade of stress, I can do
something about it, shifting from mindlessly reacting to making more mindful
choices.
Exercise:
Stress Skills
You can
develop your stress skills with this two-step process:
1.
First,
notice and name what you feel:“tense,” “anxious,” “nervous,” “worried.” To name it is to tame it. The simple act of
naming a feeling shifts our brain from the amygdala, the brain’s alarm center,
to the language and speech areas in our brain’s left hemisphere. Research has
found that unless we dwell on an emotion, it takes only 90 seconds for the
chemistry of this emotion to pass through our systems (J.B. Taylor, 2021).
2.
Next,
you can breathe—slowly, intentionally, mindfully. As you now know, research
shows that taking a few slow, deep mindful breaths can shift you out of stress
into a more balanced state (Balban, Neri, Kogon, Zeitzer, & Huberman,
2023).
Neurosurgeon
James Doty, MD, (2016) takes three deep mindful breaths to become more centered
during challenging brain surgery. If this practice works for complex brain
surgery, it can also help you deal with the challenges you face, releasing your
tension, relieving your stress, and bringing you back to the present moment so
you can feel calmer, think more clearly, and make better decisions on your
life’s journey.
Practice
your stress skills once today. At the end of the day, record your experience
here or in your journal.
******************************************************************************
Stress
Skills Practice: ______________
Date
When did
you do it? _____________________________________________________________
What was
your experience? _______________________________________________________
Book Description
Pathways to Inner Peace offers a guiding light of hope in a world too often filled with stress, disconnection, and uncertainty. Blending scientific insight, spiritual wisdom, personal stories, and practical exercises, this book helps readers cultivate peace of mind and deepen their connection—to themselves, to others, and to the natural world. Inspiring and accessible, it’s a companion for anyone seeking greater clarity, calm, and meaning in daily life.
Keywords
inner peace; mindfulness; emotional well-being; stress relief; spiritual growth; personal transformation; self-awareness; holistic healing; mind-body connection' guided exercises; peace of mind; connection to nature; self-discovery; practical spirituality; daily calm; clarity and purpose; mental health; resilience; inspirational stories; meditation and reflection
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