Most of us already know what studies have shown: Americans are working too much and taking too little time off. Oh, and we’re a pretty stressed-out bunch. Read on to find out how you can release stress.
Welcome to the latest installment of the 9-post series based on my recent read: Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.
And this week’s topic is Secret #6: Take Time to Release Stress
Unfortunately, our fast-paced lifestyles are a recipe for anti-longevity. In fact, not taking time out to release stress causes chronic inflammation. And chronic inflammation accelerates aging by creating a negative environment in the body – one in which age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease thrive.
Taking time out to release stress helps keep chronic inflammation in check and, thus, helps keep diseases at bay.
Plus, who wants to be stressed out all the time??
The people who live the longest, healthiest lives have this in common: they take time outs on the regular. Even for little things like:
- Pausing to watch a thunderstorm while washing the dishes
- Stopping to take in the view (even if you’ve seen it a thousand times)
- Giving yourself one whole day off each week to regroup and reset
In addition to the health benefits of slowing down, this Blue Zones Secret ties in many of the other secrets to add to the richness of life: eating well, spending time with friends, making family a priority, and living one’s purpose.
One centenarian’s advice to us all:
“Life is short. Don’t run so fast you miss it.”
One thing that is pervasive in our modern-day lives is noise: whether externally (like always having the TV or radio on) or internally (the constant chatter in our minds).
Taking a “time out” every so often to pause, be silent, and stop the self-talk (which, for many of us, is a form of self chastisement) can feel “free” for a few minutes every day. It help us release stress to become more intentional and focused throughout the rest of our day.
You can call this practice meditation, call it prayer – call it whatever you want – as long as it works for you.
So, to recap:
Here are the Blue Zone tips for incorporating Secret #6 into your life:
Reduce the Noise to release stress
Our electronics are practically tethered to our bodies these days. Are they convenient for some things? Yes. Are they a bit of a ball-and-chain weighing us down and keeping us preoccupied with the digital world, rather than the physical one?Absolutely.
Taking a digital “time out” once per day or for a full day per week can help reduce the chatter and noise we hear – both from the feeds and from our mind’s reactions to what we are reading, seeing, and hearing.
In addition, reducing the amount of time we spend in front of the TV or streaming can help us retain a greater sense of “calm” as we enjoy a quieter existence.
Be Early
This one certainly helps me because being late is a HUGE stressor for me! Planning to arrive 15 minutes early to appointments can help ensure you aren’t rushing to get there and gives you a bit of a buffer should things not go
to plan.
And, if you’re early, you can sit and meditate for a few minutes while you wait – double “win”!
Meditate to Release Stress
I can’t begin to tell you how much daily meditation has changed my life. All I can say is: try it.
Many of us have a hard time concentrating at first. That’s okay. Using an app like Headspace or Insight Timer can help guide you if you’re not sure where to start.
Start small (3 minutes is great!) and give yourself some grace. Taking the time to slow down the mental “chatter” really allows your brain to clear out, allowing you to be more focused, efficient, and effective the rest of your day.
And that’s it for Secret #6: Take Time to Release Stress! If you haven’t read the first 5 Secrets, you may want to start with Secret #1 here. That one also includes recommendations for slowly incorporating the secrets into your life.