Stressed? They key is simple

After a decade of meditation, and five years of working as a tension releasing facilitator (TRE), I have seen something simple which can save us from stress.

Our hyper-palatable foods, entertainment, social media, work lives, and more, are driving more sensory data into us than ever before. Our internal computer system is red-lining to keep up the information feed.

And the gaping hole is the absence of time spent with minimal input, and the freedom for our body-mind to release charge. We do not create the space to relax anymore, and we are forgetting how to relax.

Relaxation is simple; pause the input and make some space for letting go. Nature works, so do a sauna, a good stretch session, breath-work, a long bath, and obviously a meditation-like relaxation practice.

Even if you skillfully relax only to return to extreme activity shortly after, the goal is not to stay relaxed. But we must avoid getting stuck in loops of tension at all costs. Being stressed is normal, but facing today's and yesterday's stress can be crippling.

Many people use exercise as 'relaxation' because it gives a clear head - but it doesn't let their nervous system move out of fight or flight and into a fresh state of resting and digesting. Exercise is not relaxing.

In my experience, most of us could do well with trying to bring our nervous systems down to baseline once every day. A minimum could be an extended relaxation once a week.

I've worked with people that hadn't relaxed for years and had forgotten how to relax. If that's you, just start practising again, the body-mind is amazing - you will remember soon. But just like exercise, it might take some practice.