TEN "INNER TIPS" FOR COPING WITH
THE STRESS OF WAR AND TERRORISM
by Bryan Brewer, Self-Guided.com
bryanb@self-guided.com

Many of us feel that we have little control over the stressful events
unfolding on the world stage today. Although it can be
empowering to take political action or prepare for an emergency,
such actions often don't do much to diminish our feelings of
stress. These ten inner tips -- drawn from the books and
recordings of Joel Levey and Michelle Levey -- provide specific
ways you can manage your responses to these events, and
thus lower your overall levels of stress and anxiety.

More information about each of these tips is available at
http://www.self-guided.com/. Some include links where you can
listen to guided imagery relaxation recordings online.

Please feel free to pass on these tips to anyone who you think
might benefit from them.


1. TAKE SHORT RELAXATION BREAKS TO LET GO OF TENSION.
This is easy when you remember to use your breath as your
guide. Whenever you notice you are getting stressed or anxious,
just (1) stop and pause for a moment, (2) take in a deep breath,
and (3) slowly exhale, releasing any tension you may be
carrying. Use spare moments throughout the day to breathe away
tension or to recall pleasant images and memories that will help
soothe you. You can also practice relaxation guided imagery to
calm your mind and body. By reducing your overall anxiety
level in these ways, you will be better able to deal with stressful
information and world events.

2. ENGAGE IN A MIND-BODY PRACTICE TO RELIEVE STRESS.
We all know that exercise is healthy. In addition, there are many
practices and techniques that specifically enhance the mind-body
connection and help relieve stress. These include such activities
as tai chi, yoga, walking meditation, ecstatic dance, walking a
labyrinth ... as well as focused sports performance and playing a
musical instrument. The most effective techniques will get you
in touch with a "felt sense" of your aliveness in your body.
Performing these and other mind-body activities in a natural
setting gives an added soothing and balancing benefit.

3. TAKE TIME TO CARE FOR YOURSELF TO RESTORE
BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE.
Providing good self-care is not selfish. If you are totally stressed
out, you won't have much left over to give to yourself or to
others. It's important to take the time to do something you love
to do -- something just for you -- at least once a day. Go for a
leisurely walk, get a massage, listen to some favorite music, take
a long hot bath, get a manicure, take a nap, or do any other
healthy activity that gives you energy. This will increase the
balance in your life, thus helping you to better deal with anxiety
and stress.

4.  EXPLORE THE HEALING POWER OF MINDFULNESS
TO REDUCE ANXIETY.
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to whatever you
are experiencing in the moment. The method is to simply notice
the ever-changing flow of your mental, emotional, and physical
experiences as you go about your daily life. Although
deceptively simple, the practice of mindfulness is a crucial tool
for discovering and sustaining balance in your life. By helping
you learn to recognize the subtle "whispers" of tension, worry, or
stress before they can turn into "screams," the practice of
mindfulness offers many health benefits, including the ability to
reduce your stress and calm your anxiety.

5.  EXPRESS GRATITUDE AS A POWERFUL ANTIDOTE TO FEAR.
When you give thanks, it is difficult to also feel fear at the same
time. A heartfelt sense of appreciation that connects you with
what is good and right in your life will help restore harmony and
balance in both your mind and your body. Remember to be
thankful for the many blessings already present in your life.

6.  RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU TELL YOURSELF "STORIES
THAT DON'T NEED TO HAPPEN."
The stress of war and terrorism can easily lead the mind to
imagine all sorts of unpleasant outcomes, which in turn leads to
more worry and anxiety. To interrupt this unproductive mental
feedback loop, simply recognize and then release such thoughts
by saying to yourself, "This is a story that doesn't need to
happen." The trick is not to suppress negative thoughts or deny
them, but to simply honor them and then let them go. And when
a desirable story arises in your inner dialogue, recognize it and
then release it by saying to yourself, "Yes, this is a healing
story."

7.  DEVELOP A SENSE OF COMPASSION TO INCREASE
YOUR RESILIENCE.
If you can open and expand your heart - even just a little - to the
true humanness of others, it can transform your attitude toward
yourself as well. Cultivating a sense of compassion will expand
your horizons and connect you to a larger concept of yourself.
This in turn will ease your own stress and anxiety, and allow you
to have a greater range of choices in how you respond to any
situation.

8.  CHOOSE RELAXING ACTIVITIES BEFORE BEDTIME
TO GET BETTER SLEEP.
Our curious minds naturally want to know the latest news and
how it might affect us. It's a basic survival instinct. But it's also
important to get a good night's rest, and watching TV news at
night before bedtime can be detrimental to the quality of your
sleep. A better survival strategy is to catch up on the news during
the day, and in the evening focus on relaxing or mentally
uplifting activities. Instead of watching TV news at night, try
listening to music, reading a book, or watching a non-violent
movie. You are likely to sleep better, have more pleasant
dreams, and awaken more refreshed - and thus be better able to
cope with daily stress.

9.  LOOK BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE TO FIND THE
DEEPER MEANING.
This tip is really about finding your faith and trusting it. Call
upon any higher powers that have significance for you, and ask
for guidance to be able to see the deeper meaning of events in
your own life and in the world at large. Imagine looking down at
the Earth from outer space and being able to sense the unseen
forces constantly at work for the greatest good of all creation.
Applying a "big picture" perspective to your thoughts and
actions helps you gain a sense of inner peace.

10.  ACTIVATE YOUR MENTAL POWERS TO
ENVISION GLOBAL PEACE.
Your thoughts have power over your own body. Consider also
that your thoughts may have a positive effect on other things as
well. The healing power of prayer is widely acknowledged in all
cultures, and is gaining greater acceptance in medical and
scientific circles. We all want peace. Use your mental powers to
radiate your own love out into the world to Envision Global
Peace.

Use this guided imagery recording to Envision Global Peace.
Visit http://www.self-guided.com/articles/warstress-10.htm
where you can listen to the 2-minute audio track "Radiating
Love" from Joel Levey's Self-Guided Relaxation CD.

Copyright 2003 Self-Guided.com
Self-Guided is a registered trademark of Self-Guided.com