By Guest Blogger Josh Anderson, M.S.
It happens – we get mentally drained from the constant rigors that life throws at us. It’s bound to happen but what matters most is how you react to these arduous times and move forward!
You know what I mean; one day you are on cloud nine and the next you don’t think you will ever stop falling! A tiny slip up can lead to the snowball effect of stress and anxiety! Slip up after slip up…you think to yourself, “Will it ever get better? Am I always going to be stressed? Heck, will I ever be successful?”
Well, it’s time to take charge of your mental landscape and help you get over these stressful situations. If you are sick of the mental baggage, let’s start implementing a few of these tips to help us de-tress, make change happen and move forward with our goals and our life! Let’s start “falling” forward!
1. Bedtime is Worry-Free Time
Easier said than done, right? I know how hard this can be but when you fall asleep with great images or thoughts going through your mind, then you are more likely to wake up with great thoughts (plus you will sleep a lot better)! Try reading a passage from a favorite book, watch your favorite movie (don’t watch Marley and Me….unless you like crying for 3 hours…), or even pray to the higher power you believe in. You just simply want to go to bed happy, with great, inspiring thoughts! Happy to bed, happy to rise!
2. Wake Up With a Clear Mind
This is pivotal for starting the day off right and getting a full productive day completed! Start by dumping your mental junk right from first light. Don’t even get out of bed. Instead, as you lay there, think about all the wonderful things you will get accomplished today and how it will improve the lives of others! This can help lighten your mental load for the day!
3. Beat Yourself Up
We all get that pent up stress that is just dying to be let out (usually in the form of verbally assaulting an innocent bystander)! When you are completely restless over some decision or your stressed out over your typical “break-neck paced” day then it’s time for some exercise. Wherever you like to exercise, pop in the earphones, crank up the tunes and get lost in fitness for an hour. This releases some of your pent-up energy and helps you relax!
4. Action, Action, Action
Unhappy with your current career or situation? Unhappy about where your life or health is going? It’s time to take action! One debilitating mentality that keeps you stuck in a rut is the “hope mentality”. This is the mentality where you sure “hope” things will get better. How are they going to get better if nothing changes? To “hope” things will get better but not taking any action is just craziness. To create change, you must act. Hope is a lovely notion, but you simply can’t “hope” change into happening. Change your way to change.
5. Go Big or Go Home
Sometimes when the situation appears completely against you and you make change after change but nothing really improves then maybe it is time to shake things up. Sometimes we need some help, guidance, or even a swift kick to improve our situation. I’m talking about making big changes when you need to change your direction. This big change could be hiring a personal trainer to get you going and improving your health. It could be going to see a psychiatrist to get your head straight – constant negative thoughts aren’t healthy. Heck, it could even be getting on a program that is more geared towards your time constraints and your fitness capacity. What is needed sometimes is just a change of mental scenery… that can go a long way in helping you succeed! This can really help you get re-motivated and re-focused.
Wrap-Up
There you have it – 5 simple ways to help you not only de-stress but also get re-motivated to do daily battle with life! It all comes down to surrounding yourself with the people that support you and give you the opportunities you need to succeed – these 5 tips just help you get there! As long as you believe in what you are doing then you will achieve your goals – it’s time to get started!
About the Author:
Josh Anderson (M.S.) is a personal trainer and the founder of Always Active Athletics: “DIY Fitness, Food and Lifestyle!” He combines the latest science with a practical approach to make exercise as convenient and efficient as possible! Check out his site for the latest expert workouts and tips.
