bythemethod.com blog

Today I want to mention body awareness. That is your own body not anybody elses! I’m not talking about whether you like your body or whether it is fat or thin etc but what it is feeling. A good place to start in managing your stress is to become aware of what it is doing to you. Do you feel any tension in your muscles? Perhaps neck or back ache? Perhaps you are experiencing problems with your tummy at the moment. Knowing that you are being troubled with stress because your body is telling you is very important.

Here is a simple exercise you can do to practise this. Do it several times in the day and if possible write down in a diary (with some times) what you feel. Only write a sentence or two. This may give you a clue to times in the day when you are more under stress than others.

Exercise:

1. Become aware of your surroundings. Notice things. A blue carpet. Silver pen on paper. Yellow ruler on desk. Red sky as the sun rises. etc.

2. Now think about what your body is feeling. Shouler pain. Twinge in foot. Feeling warm/cold. Soft seat/hard seat. Knee twitching etc.

3. Now alternate between the two. Black speaker – itchy arm. Computer fan whirring – breathing deep and long.

After a while you will get to know what your body is feeling like without having to think it through in such depth. But of particular importance are things like aches and pains; breathing patterns; heart beat if you can feel it etc. Notice the differences they are big clues as to what is happening to you.