What happens when you run into a stressful situation: that big traffic jam when you’re already late for an appointment, the backlog piling up on your desk, the vendor or co-worker throwing a wrench at the construction site, the irritating relative who knows what button to press to inflame your guts, what do you do? Do you go into stress mode; tensing your body, restricting your breathing, racing your thoughts on a gerbil wheel, collapsing in awe? And this works for you? Do you really get there faster, become more productive, find a solution, or rise above pettiness?

When stressful situations occur around us, it is easy to associate them with a stressful reaction, but we are free to respond in any way we want. It’s natural to have an instant reaction of anger, frustration, disappointment, or worry, but then taking it further only makes things worse. So why do we do it? Because it is what we know, what we have learned and what we are used to doing.

 

Responding in a calm and relaxed manner can give the impression that we are not taking the situation seriously or that we are giving up and giving in. But actually, operating from a state of stillness brings clarity, opens our eyes to additional possibilities, and keeps our energy flowing through our bodies so we can accomplish more and not be exhausted at the end of the day.

 

Ease is a state of being, a way of living life. Instead of resisting, it is accepting. Instead of forcing, it is allowing. Instead of fighting, he is flowing. At any moment of time, in any situation, we can simply choose tranquility instead of stress.

 

Reflect on these questions to gain insight into your reactions to stress:

 

* What people, situations and circumstances do you usually respond to in a stressful way?

 

* What are your favorite stress responses? your thought patterns (panic, all or nothing, victimhood, blaming, etc.), your physical reactions (holding your breath, clenching your jaw, tensing your body, etc.), your behaviors (running, whining, disappearing, etc.)? And what do these do for you?

 

*What would it be like if you had to respond to a stressful situation with ease? How would it feel? What would you have to give up to have peace of mind (being right, being wrong, attention, pity, or your attachment to being a drama queen, a scatterbrain, an ostrich, a superhero, a victim, etc.)? What would you need to embrace (trust, humor, acceptance, compassion, feeling good enough, owning your power, etc.)?

 

Try some of these techniques to get into a state of calm:

    

* Take several full breaths into the abdomen, then the lower rib cage, then the chest. Then let your breath flow naturally and let your mind and body match that relaxed state.

 

* Imagine that your body is transparent like glass or flows like a stream.

 

* Close your eyes and stay in the center of your head and find a peaceful stillness there, then let this feeling spread throughout your body

 

* Once you have found a state of tranquility, take some time to imagine what your life would be like if you operated from this state on a regular basis. Go through a whole day, a week and a month. Observe how you feel, think, and behave in situations and with others.

 

Set your intention each day to have tranquility in your life and when stressful situations occur say to yourself “I choose tranquility” and use one of the above techniques to move into a state of tranquility.