Stress Reduction Tips: When the Mundane Wears You Down

Life is a gift. There are marvelous sensations to be experience. The warmth of a sunset, the laughter of a newborn, the embrace of a loved one are just a few things that bring us great joy.

A great deal of time in our daily lives is expended in mundane tasks. Our career duties, paying bills, errands for the kids, and bureaucratic red tape are just some of the daily problems that rob us of joy and make us weary. At times the mundane is so exhausting that we tend to forget that life is beautiful and bountiful. We lose sight of what is important.

We should be taking time to enjoy the beauty of nature, the embrace of a loved one, and laughter with our friends. Instead we pile up worry on top of stress and soon we resent, instead of appreciate, our life.

Here are 5 simple remedies for bringing our love-of-life back into focus.

1. Learn to Relax. Relaxing helps you escape the daily mundane routine to a more soothing condition There are various relaxation techniques including yoga and meditation. Search the term 'relaxation techniques' on Google for some ideas. Then find what works for you. Experiment until you succeed.

Some days when I just need to unwind I like to make a cup of herbal tea, put on some soft music (instrumental) take off my shoes, put my feet up and let my mind drift into a dream like state. Other times when the day produced a great deal of stress, I dance. Dancing helps me to release the built up toxic emotions. Only then am I able to relax.

2.The old cliche, "Humor is the best medicine" still rings true. When unable to let go of the stresses of the day, watch a good comedian or a TV sitcom. Read a funny book, watch the playful antics of newborn animals on the discovery channel. Whatever amuses you, drink it in It is therapeutic to laugh out loud, and you cannot avoid feeling a little better.

3.Hug someone. Hug a loved one, a co-worker, even hugging your pet can feel good. A hug can cheer you up, and soothe your pain. Hugging transfers energy, lifts you out of depression, reduces stress. It can even induce sleep. How relaxing is that?. Hugging is healthy to the body's immunity system. It's the all-natural, painless cure-all for what ails you..

4. Count your blessings. I can't count the number of times I was feeling sorry for my plight and came in contact with someone much less fortunate than myself. Immediately I took recount of my own situation with a more thankful approach and began to feel less stressed. Try it. It works. Each of us has something to appreciate in our lives. Concentrate on the blessings and our problems will not exert so much power.

5. Do something to make another life brighter. There really is 'more happiness in giving than in receiving'. There is a surge of 'feel good about oneself' type emotions when you do something for someone else. If you have never experienced the feeling you are in for something wonderful. When you feel that great about yourself the problems seem to fade from the surface. Plus good deeds beget good deeds. You become a channel in which blessings flow back and forth.

Remember to be content with your life, but never give up dreaming like a child. Take each day as it come, say 'yes' to the universe, for all things good and bad serve to build your character. Most important of all is keep your thoughts on a positive vein.

...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable---if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Phillipians 4:4