What if you could stop stress in its tracks? What would it be worth to you to be able to notice, untangle and transform stress into positive values energy? I have been successfully working with my own stress as well as some of the top High Tech companies in the Bay Area over the last 2 years. We tackle stress from deadlines, from not enough hours in the day, from too many emails and demands for our attention, from not finding time for our kids, from not having time for our own activities, from dropping balls, from our kids being sick, from our back and joints aching, from not sleeping, and on and on.
When you contemplate the above list, what do you feel in your body? Pressure? Unsettled stomach? Shallow breathing? Tight jaw, neck muscles or throat? One of the best tools to transform stress is cultivating the practice of a body scan. Start with the top of your head and work down. Where do you feel sensation? The great thing is that the emotional energy of stress signals us, and it is not subtle. The stuck energy in my body let's me know when I am off track, not connected, not centered. So step one is to notice the physical sensations that I am stressed.
Step 2 is to listen instead of numb, distract or rationalize. The key is to stop and pay attention instead of soldiering on. What is my stress trying to tell me? What am I yearning for? Ease? Connection? To be heard? Partnership? Stress is most often is signal that we are not in alignment with our values. How often do I take time to listen and be curious v. muscling through to the perceived finish, and end up feeling worse.
Next, step 3