This article discusses two helpful tips for dealing with daily anxiety and stress without taking medications. These tips are for general information and are not a substitution for medical advice. For your specific medical solution please check with a physician, or with a hospital emergency department if necessary.
Meditation
Meditating regularly is extremely helpful for reducing anxiety without medication. However, meditation is like a metaphorical chain. In that regard, taking a prolonged break from your meditation practice will, in essence, break that chain. Alternately, to strengthen the chain, meditation should be practiced on a regular basis and for long enough time periods to be beneficial. If you stop meditating after only a few days, or do not meditate for long enough periods of time, then you may see little if any benefit. For serious stress or anxiety practicing meditation for 20 minutes, twice a day, is a good target.
Finding a teacher or joining a meditation group that meets at least weekly will encourage your practice. You can look for instruction through your local yoga center, spiritual organization, or formal groups such as the Ananda Marga Meditation Society. A web search can help you find a teacher in your area. A benefit of formal training is that once you become familiar with meditation techniques you do not have to sit quietly for twenty minutes when you are stressed (although you should do that regularly). Your mind will learn how to enter a calming state very quickly for short periods. Accessing this state for short times, as needed, is often called "half-meditation."
Walking
Another tip for dealing with stress without medication is walking. If you experience a lot of job stress, trying to make time for walk breaks is very important. You may not think that you have time for what sounds like a luxury while at work. But, if you observe closely, you may find that other people at work are already taking short walking breaks. Taking even a 10 minute walk around the block, building, campus, or grounds can immediately reduce your stress level and increase your productivity. A beneficial bonus for those with computer-based jobs is that getting up from your desk may help prevent or relieve wrist and arm pain that can develop from typing excessively without sufficient breaks.
Being Stressed Takes A Daily Commitment, And So Does Stress Reduction
To ensure a continuing commitment to stress reduction, try setting alerts on your computer or phone to remind you to take short walks twice each day. You will return from each walk with a rush of energy and a reduced stress level. Your regular walk may even become addictive. And, following these tips can result in a burst of productivity.
Daily stress relieving walks take commitment, just like daily meditation. Thanks to the phenomenon of "walking meditation" you may be able to benefit from combining both practices. This is a highly recommended tip for dealing with stress and anxiety without medication. In layman's terms, walking burns off stress, and burning off stress increases your well-being and productivity without the use of medication.
Not all work environments are accommodating to taking even short walks on breaks. If this is your situation, explore the possibilities of walking before or after work, or at lunchtime, if possible. If you find yourself unable to walk at all, perhaps you can find five minutes in a quiet place to close your eyes and relax while focusing on your breath.
These are two simple methods for reducing stress and anxiety without the use of medication. Not every method works for every person or every time, but with commitment you may find that these proven techniques bring balance and peace into a stressful day.
Resource
For help learning meditation or locating a teacher refer to Ananda Marga
© Copyright. David Sumner. 2014. All rights reserved.
Click now to learn more from Dave Sumner, who has practiced meditation to manage life's daily stress for several years. Sumner is a lifelong learner, and a student of psychology. Dave Sumner holds a Master of Science degree and is currently completing a Master of Arts in a psychology-related field. Dave is passionate for writing about a variety of other interesting topics, including global security and health issues. Please follow what Dave Sumner is up to at Dave Sumner Writes! or at his health and wellness blog at The Happy Vegetarians.
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