You’re drowning in stress. Here’s what you need to do.
We live in a world in which 2 things stand out to me. Quantity and speed. Our dysfunctional society - and entire human civilization for that matter - is today focused on doing more things and doing them faster. We always seem to be racing against time while always seeking to add shit to our plate so we feel more productive and therefore accomplished. But let’s face it, you’re trying to not just feel accomplished but LOOK accomplished in the eyes of others. So, we’re in this perpetual lifestyle of pressure and stress and we’re told that if we’re struggling, it’s because we’re just not doing enough, or we’re doing it wrong and that there’s something wrong with us. The funny thing is that there isn’t a particular person shoving that idea in your head. It’s really a collection of ideas you pick up, an energy you sense in your social environment, which includes work, public spaces and the media, mostly social media. It’s like there’s this subconscious agreement or acceptance that this is how it’s supposed to be. The problem is that there’s a part of you that feels like it’s just not right. I know this because there’s a good chance you’re dealing with an amount of stress right now that feels overwhelming, or you’ve had to deal with it recently. And much of that stress feels like it’s something you never freaking asked for, but somehow feel like you can’t escape. Like… is this how the world is?!
Improve your mental health and well-being with our meditations and sleep stories. Just $1/month.
The fact is, there’s nothing you’re doing wrong, except not realizing it’s society that’s dysfunctional, and the dysfunction is seeping into your personal life, your well-being, and it’s transforming the core of who you are into something that doesn’t resonate with you. There’s a lot of things society does that you don’t agree with, many of which I’ve come to realize take a toll on our mental health. It’s very tough to navigate an environment that’s self-destructive and toxic. And you know what? The first thing you can do is take control of your inner environment. You can’t always control the outside world and its messed up ways, but you can certainly be in charge of the world inside your head. That’s the boundary you set. That’s when you say no to the world. And you have to because collectively, many societies are still operating under a self-destructive social and cultural system, from beliefs to norms to work ethics.
Here’s a question for you? Did you learn how to breathe as a child? Did you learn how to be mentally still and mindful? Present? Were you taught the value of slowing down and pausing? Most of us didn’t, and that’s not normal. It’s actually really weird, but the world will convince you otherwise. It’s pretty much accepted by many around us that thinking all the time and chronic stress are normal, or that it’s just how it is. It’s not. It’s insane. Because the vast majority of us human beings haven’t learned the proper skills to tune into our inner space and create tranquility. Not just create it, but protect it. Stress is normal. Chronic stress is not. It’s a disease. Living a life of constant running and trying to do more is not normal. You’re not meant to live like this. You’re destroying your body and mind when you live like this. But it’s not your fault. You’ve been brought up in a society made up of people who aren’t in tune with their inner space and you’ve been taking damage for it. In fact, to reflect back on your life as a child, you most definitely played more than you do now as an adult. Play is related to pausing, and as adults, at least from what I see all the time, we don’t play enough. Yes, a lot of us go out and party or spend time with friends, but those moments are tiny, pitiful fragments of enjoyment squeezed in between the chaos of stress we live in on a regular basis. I’m talking about total play with the space for your mind not to be drowning in stress-inducing things or situations. Your evenings and weekends of going out are not gonna be enough to undo a lifestyle of crushing stress. Days off can do it to some extent, but let’s face it, we have many more days on then we have days off. It’s always ON! ON AND RUNNING AND DOING! There’s rarely any kind of stopping and being. You get what that means? Being. Pausing and just being with yourself. Slowing down, taking a deep breath and appreciating the moment, the life you have. Holy shit do I rarely see people being able to sit back and enjoy their life. Rare, because it happens on mythical occasions like vacation or particular events. Just pitiful crumbs. Why the hell do we work so much? We say we have to work hard to enjoy ourlife, but we spend more time towards achieving the goal of enjoying it than actually enjoying it. If you make pausing, being, enjoying and playing a goal, it’ll never happen, or it’ll never stay. It’ll always be a fleeting thing. There’s only one way this happens - you have to make it a lifestyle.
I left my stressful job and lifestyle and am currently blessed to have a successful business with my wife. Can’t express how grateful I am that we’re making our dreams happen together. We left during COVID, the most stressful time humanity has had to experience in recent years if you ask me, but we took a leap of faith. Here we are. Of course, dream business doesn’t mean no stress. On the contrary, there’s a lot of work in running it and growing it; pursuing your ambitions is a lot of work, but the difference is that the work IS the fun, IS the play. Because we made enjoying our life a priority, we brought our work ethics into it. We made wellness and slowing down a work policy. We made deadlines and work schedules follow our mental health. Of course, that’s just one example. I’m not saying you necessarily have to leave you job, but if you care about making enjoyment and pausing a priority, and not living a life dominated by stress, you need to seriously step back and ask yourself what you have to change. By that, I mean you need to clearly determine what is contributing to your chronic stress and your feeling overwhelmed and how it’s making you feel on a daily basis - in details. Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a good exercise to help you learn self-observation and self-awareness. I learned that from cognitive behavioral therapy a.k.a. CBT. Next, you clearly determine or write, in detail, what is contributing or can contribute to your sense of enjoyment and then what you’re gonna do to give that more space in your daily life, because it’s a lifestyle, therefore a priority. And believe me, it is very possible to live a life of joy and tranquility in the midst of a chaotic, stress-inducing world. Even in our exciting dream business, stress is there. There’s a big workload. You can’t just avoid stress 100% of the time. But like I said, you can take control of your inner space in how you handle stress. Besides bringing enjoyment and making it a part of our work, we practice daily meditation and mindfulness. That’s one big thing I recommend you do daily. DO IT! Because if all else fails, mindfulness based meditation will not, so much so that it’s taken a lot of space in actual therapy. This ancient ,ethodtaught for thousands of years is being recognized scientifically for its tremendous benefits. Meditation can increase “relaxation, fortify healing, recovery and a stronger immune response, as well as decrease pain, anxiety, stress, depression and blood pressure.” (https://psychcentral.com/blog/surprising-health-benefits-of-mindfulness-meditation).
Besides those amazing benefits, meditation also improves sleep and can increase your attention span and focus. That said, you don’t have to dedicate hours of meditation per day; even doing it for 5-10 minutes a day will bring tremendous benefits. So, try it each morning or before bed. Make it a priority. Give yourself a challenge: 5-10 minutes of meditation for one week, 2 weeks, or 30 days. Then, take note (mentally or written down) of how you feel after each session, and then after your challenge. I guarantee you will notice a clear difference in your stress levels, your mood, and your general sense of well-being. But don’t think meditation is just a temporary 10 minute session. Not only do the effects last beyond the session, but the best thing you can do for your lifestyle is incorporate it in your daily activities, through mindfulness, like mindful cooking, folding clothes, washing dishes, walking or driving. You name it. This simple practice allows you to bring your attention to the present and to the activity, so that your distracted or monkey mind (as it’s often called) can settle down into a relaxed state. It’s not easy though. It takes regular practice, but the more you do it, the better the presence “muscle” becomes. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, and I can tell you my life has never been the same. The feeling of being grounded and present spills over into every aspect of your life and relationships. It got me to incorporate into my fitness coaching through something I call M.M.T. or Mindful Muscle Training, bringing mindfulness to any kind of workout to maximize the physical and mental benefits. It even got me to start teaching meditation on our website, and I wanted to provide it for the very affordable price of $1/month so it can be available to as many as possible, because I know how helpful it is (link at the bottom of the article). Mindfulness and meditation changed everything for me and continues to do so. Like I said earlier, my wife and I practice it together and it allows us to connect ever more deeply and intimately. So, if you’re sick of the world telling you to do more while totally disregarding how important your mental wellness is, please do what’s necessary to make resting, joy and wellness a priority. It’s literally gonna transform you.
Improve your mental health and well-being with our meditations and sleep stories. Just $1/month. Sign up here
You can also sign up to my M.M.T home workouts with bands and bodyweight to boost your physical and mental health. That plan is $25/month and also includes 70+ workouts as well as all my meditations and sleep stories from the $1/month plan.
Follow this link: https://ryzeprojects.com/memberships.
