Feeling Stressed? Stop, Drop and Roll!

Today I was listening to one called "Stop. Drop and Roll". The question is, "Are you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, confused"? If you are then it is time to "Stop, drop and roll." What does that mean?

Stop means stop! Take a deep breath, heck maybe you should take two deep breathes. The point is to relax and breathe. When we are stressed we tighten up and breathe shallow and that tends to increase the feeling of anxiety, panic and confusion. It deprives our brain of much needed oxygen and so our thinking gets even more muddled and confused. It becomes a vicious cycle, a positive feedback system. The more stress we feel, the less we breathe, the more anxiety we create, which increases the stress so stop and breathe.

Drop stands for "drop into the present"! When we are stressed it is because we are either in the past or in the future. We are worried about something we said or did or some past event and how it will affect the future or what someone is thinking about us. You know, we spend a lot of time (sometimes) worrying about what others think of us and forget to realize that they are not thinking at all and if they are, it is not about us. So forget it! We do not have energy for the past or the future. We only have enough energy for the present and if we stay centered, focused and present, we will eliminate stress in our lives.

Finally "roll" stands for "roll with the punches". You have been here before. This is not the first time you felt stressed or anxious and somehow you survived. Turn it over to God or to the universe or to infinite intelligence or to source energy, whatever you call it. But know that it will pass and you will survive.

SO it is really quite simple. By breathing deeply, staying focused on the present and asking the universe for guidance, we can virtually eliminate stress in our lives and live happier, more fulfilling lives, free from anxiety, worry and stress.

According to Russ Whitney, "Life's gift is in the struggle". Without struggle we couldn't grow and flex our spiritual muscle and become better beings so when tough times come, and they inevitably will, stop, drop and roll." I translate that into "breathe, center and trust."