Overcoming stress or overwhelm in your business can be one of the hardest emotional and physical challenges you face. Here in the second part of a two part series on overcoming stress, let’s look at how to create at various types of stress-buster connection habits which you can use daily.
What Is A Connection Habit?
The habit of connection is about reconnecting to your soul. You could saying it’s about connecting to The universe, God, Source – however you want to label it – but basically it’s about reconnecting to your inner self. The most obvious example of a connection habit is meditation – which has been scientifically proven to reduce stress.
So the reason for a connection habit is because everything you ever need comes from within you – you are the ultimate source of your own wisdom, guidance and peace. And when you tap into this inner you reduce your stress and overwhelm.
And when you reduce stress and overwhelm . . . well, that’s when the magic starts to happen. That’s when you can start to create your ultimate lifestyle business.
Examples of Connection Habits
- Meditation
- Stream of consciousness writing
- Submersion in nature – walks in the countryside, swimming in the sea, mountain hikes
- Exercise such as yoga, pilates, tai chi
It’s important to choose a habit which fits you and then stick with it. This is not a once-off tool. It’s a lifetime tool for overcoming stress. For example, I write my ‘morning pages’ every morning. Morning pages suits my temperament. When I don’t write them I feel cranky and off, I get stressed a lot more easily and overwhelmed in a heartbeat. But if I take the time to write my pages, it’s like I purge myself of the bad stuff and start the day calm and ready to face whatever it throws at me!
So choose one and stick with it!
What Can You Expect From Your Connection Practice?
Here’s the thing – basically, you can expect absolutely anything!
You’ll never understand exactly why your connection habit is so critical to overcoming stress until you do it and experience it. It’s one of those things where you need to do it to understand why you need to do it. So, if you’re serious about overcoming your stress and or creating your ideal lifestyle business just go out and try one of these connection habits and then you’ll understand why.
The power of 3 is helping me… yoga, walk/run in the countryside (conveniently right outside my door) and the daily ritual of writing my gratitude journal every night as I go to bed. No matter how many things appear not to have gone my way the preceding day, by writing down everything I am grateful for, however small, it means I can always get a restful night’s sleep – which of course sets me up well for the next day.
I also believe in never going to sleep in a grump with my partner – and because I have written my gratitude journal before we both get to bed, I find it easier to ‘kiss and make up’ :))
First thing in the morning (thanks Duane Alley for this great tip) I smile and say thank you (to the universe and God), before my head even lifts from the pillow.
Hi Joanna, Thank you for this wonderful piece of wisdom. When I write my pages each morning my day is much more productive. Dr Caroline Leaf in The Gift Within You explains that the writing exercise is really valuable to the intra-personal thinker (7 Pillars of Thinking) and hence why it works so well for some. And exercise for others. You are tapping into your unique way of thinking best. Thank you for reminding us that it is a small daily lifestyle habit that makes the magic happen…
Its funny isnt it Rachel how we forget about the DAILY bit thinking its something that happens just by thinking about it every now and then.
You have both shared some great exampls here!
Thanks
jo