A little break from everyday life

This guest article by Kerstin Niedermayer, certified NLP coach and hypnotherapist, shows how you can reduce stress in everyday life. Have fun relaxing :-)

We all know how wonderfully relaxed we feel after a vacation. However, we often rush through everyday life - our heads are full of to-do's while we only wistfully remember the wonderful days at the beach. It has fizzled out, the relaxation and the next vacation are far away. However, there is often not enough time for a wellness day, extensive baths and sauna sessions.

But we can also find relaxation in the very small moments. Especially in stressful and challenging times, it is important to pay attention to your own body and soul so as not to lose your balance.

So here are a few little inspirations for you:

The Teacup Meditation:

Make yourself a nice cup of tea or another favorite drink. When preparing, make sure that you take your time and consciously perceive every step. Think about it: Which tea cup suits me right now? What does the bubbling in the kettle sound like? Which type of tea is good for me now?

Then sit or stand in a quiet place from which you can best look out into nature. Or better yet, go outside for a few minutes. Enjoy your warm tea in your hands and just pay attention to what you can see and discover. Direct your focus on the things that you haven't even noticed yet. What do the leaves look like today? What sounds can I hear? Which animals can I see and what can I smell? How does the air feel on my skin? Is it warm or cold?

The more consciously you pay attention to every little detail, the more your soul can relax for a few minutes and not think about anything else during this time.

The inner soul place:

Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and calm down. Now remember a place where you were very happy and relaxed. This can be a moment on your last vacation - whether at the sea, in the mountains or at home. A place where it was beautiful and relaxed. Now go back to this moment in your mind. Mentally slip into your body and consciously perceive what you could see, hear, taste, smell and feel back then. Immerse yourself completely in this situation again with all your senses. Look at the moment from your eyes as it was back then and act as if you were right there in the middle of it again. What sounds could you hear? Were there any smells and what could you see? And feel that relaxed feeling from back then arise within you again and enjoy this inner relaxation for a few minutes.

This little relaxation exercise requires a little practice at the beginning. But the more often you go back to this wonderful moment and enjoy it, the easier it will be for you over time. And the nice thing is, your subconscious doesn't differentiate whether it's real in this place or just in your thoughts and just relaxes for a few minutes.

Little happiness on paper:

What you focus on determines how you feel. If you're only thinking about your to-dos and everything that's not working or is bothering you, then that's how you'll feel. And this is exactly where you can start to find joy, happiness and therefore relaxation.

Consciously step out of the negative thought carousel for a few minutes. Grab a pen and paper. I deliberately mean paper and pen and not the cell phone or the computer.

Now ask yourself a few questions and write the answers on paper:

• What am I grateful for in my life?
• Who or what do I love?
• What beautiful moments in my life do I remember?
• What am I looking forward to?

With these questions you consciously direct the focus in a positive direction and interrupt your stressful negative thoughts. This leaves room for more inner balance.

And the nice thing is, you can read your positive thoughts over and over again on paper or even hang them up in a clearly visible place in your apartment. So that you are reminded again and again that it is up to you where you focus your attention.

And a little tip at the end. Consciously give time to little relaxation in your everyday life. Especially in stressful times, it is important to plan small breaks for the soul. Maybe you even want to set a recurring reminder on your cell phone. According to the motto “Now it’s time for a little relaxation”!

Your Kerstin