How to de-stress is an essential question. Stress follows us everywhere, it’s become a habit! We go too fast, we feel attacked by everyday life and we end up attacking our loved ones in return, generating even more stress. How can we break this vicious circle? Know how to be positive! Here are 3 exercises to help you learn.

1 – De-stressing exercise: taking stock of your actions

Let’s get into the habit, after each problem solved, each task accomplished, of making a positive assessment by listing what went well.

What’s more, even in the event of failure, let’s take stock of what we’ve learned. This prevents us from becoming discouraged.

Taking stock requires a small notebook or a note on the telephone. At first, we won’t think about it every time. We move too fast

So, as a first step, we can take stock every morning or evening.

This exercise allows us to create a stock of beautiful reasons to be confident in ourselves and in life. Not to mention that, in the event of failure, re-reading everything that has worked before will help us put things into perspective and regain our courage.

Stress won’t be able to withstand a positive balance sheet. In this way, we can break the vicious circle of stress and stop creating it!

1 notebook, every morning or evening, listing all our actions for the day and noting what went well or what we learned.

2 – Facing up to our desire for change

Our desire for change often stems from dissatisfaction in our lives. We think that a major change can give us a new lease on life. For example: changing jobs, moving house or even changing partners.

Before embarking on a change in our lives, let’s make a list of everything that’s going well, everything we can be happy with about ourselves, our surroundings, our work… Let’s list the positive points in all spheres of our lives.

You’re probably asking yourself, “But why?” Simply because:

“The most successful changes in our lives are built on the positive, not on the negative or a lack.”

Indeed, the aim of this exercise is to give ourselves the right to follow our desire for change, without criticizing or rejecting what we want to leave behind. In this way, we avoid regrets.

What’s more, when we focus solely on the negative, our stress gauge skyrockets. Unfortunately, stress is not a good advisor. Let’s nurture the positive around us, thereby calming our stress so we can think clearly.

3 – De-stressing exercise: do away with perfectionism

“It could have been better”.

When someone close to us says that, aren’t we frustrated to hear it? So why do we tend to think and express it?

Perfectionism is a stress machine! It prevents us from enjoying and savoring what we have, who we are and what we do well!

Beware of our limiting belief: “If it’s not perfect, it’s worthless”.

Let’s understand that nothing is perfect, especially what we are and what we do.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How to avoid stress? 8 mistakes we all make
Discover How to calm your stress? Live a more peaceful life

In addition, I recommend this inspiring book on the subject:

10% Happier Revised Edition: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story by Dan Harris

The author, Dan Harris, is a TV news anchor who was the victim of a live TV panic attack, which led him to delve into meditation as a means of reducing stress and finding greater happiness and well-being.
If you’re after a book that combines personal anecdotes, journalistic inquiry and helpful advice on finding greater happiness through mindfulness, “10% Happiness” is an astute choice. It’s an ideal read for anyone wanting to improve their mental well-being and grasp the benefits of meditation.

I recently finished reading this book and am very thankful for it. I learn a lot from it. His experiences are meaningful, he’s honest and most people can identify with him. I also found myself laughing out loud at the way the author tells his stories.

Thank you very much for reading this article.
If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself.