If Only We Didn’t Need to Sleep
Posted on December 2, 2010
Whether your goal is going back to school, taking up a technical skill, or taking on a challenging new career, there will be times when you may be faced with periods of extreme stress. Times when you may wonder how on earth you will manage to accomplish every single thing you need to accomplish in one twenty-four hour period. Sometimes I find myself saying, “If only I didn’t need to sleep.” Imagine how much we could accomplish if we just didn’t need those eight hours of sleep. We’d be all set! Right? Everything on our “To Do List” could get accomplished without a doubt. Well, maybe not the bathroom.
With the holidays just around the corner, it is tough to manage a work schedule and family responsibilities, never mind the added stress of holiday shopping. If you add studying into that mix, it can be a call for some serious stress and time management techniques. So if this sounds familiar, remember to BREATHE. Practice the following deep breathing techniques throughout the day when you feel yourself getting stressed:
DEEP BREATHING TECHNIQUE
(Focus your mind on your breathing. If your mind begins to wander, focus back on your breathing)
Take a deep breath in through your nose…smooth and slow. Pause, then exhale through your nose or through pursed lips (like as if you were whistling). Let all of the air out of your lungs. This releases the stale air and carbon dioxide out of your lungs. (Most people today don’t clear all of the stale air out of their lungs –they take short breaths from their chest up) Inhale again…deeply through your nose, relaxing your heart…and bringing energy to your entire body. Keep concentrating as you exhale again.
Close your eyes (not if you are driving – unless your car is in park – person behind you will let you know when the light changes trust me) and focus your mind on your breath. Follow the air as it goes in and goes out. Feeling your stomach rise and your ribs expand. On each exhalation, release all of the air from your lungs without straining. Letting it all go, letting all of your air out, and preparing your lungs to receive fresh oxygen.
Continue focusing on your breathing – releasing stress and tension, inhaling relaxation and positive energy.
This stress relief technique is one of the easiest stress relief techniques because it is portable. You can take it anywhere you are going. It doesn’t take up any room in your suitcase. You can do it in (the wrong) line at the grocery store, stuck behind a slow driver, when you are running late for a deadline, or anytime you are feeling stressed. It’s better than doing nothing at all!
So, my best advice is don’t let stress get in the way of your goals, practice some stress relief techniques to stay on top of your stress, and think about what your passions in life are for your future.
“Determination is the wake-up call to the human will” ~Anthony Robbins