The stress and strain of constantly being connected can sometimes take your life -- and your well-being -- off course. GPS For The Soul can help you find your way back to balance.
GPS Guides are our way of showing you what has relieved others' stress in the hopes that you will be able to identify solutions that work for you. We all have de-stressing "secret weapons" that we pull out in times of tension or anxiety, whether they be photos that relax us or make us smile, songs that bring us back to our heart, quotes or poems that create a feeling of harmony, or meditative exercises that help us find a sense of silence and calm. We encourage you to look at the GPS Guide below, visit our other GPS Guides here, and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and tranquility.
Since there’s no universal antidote to stress –- and no single way we experience stress -– Dr. Dan Goleman suggests that people are more likely to keep up with a regular relaxation practice if it fits their style and situation.
“There’s no shortage of stressors in our lives: money, jobs, health issues, strained relationships and grim news reports from around the world,” says Goleman. “Our system isn’t programmed to be in constant fight or flight mode. The body needs regular periods of rest and relaxation. Practicing relaxation techniques regularly can help you balance your nervous system, feel more at ease, and better cope with life’s stressful challenges.”
In his GPS Guide below, Goleman shares some examples of his favorite relaxation techniques -– from mindfulness meditation to deep breathing. Try them all to discover which one works best for you. Practicing these techniques regularly will enable you to become more relaxed at will, especially when you need it most: when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
Dan Goleman's GPS Guide
While at Harvard, "Emotional Intelligence" author Daniel Goleman’s research focused on methods that counter the impacts of stress. He found that some people experience stress in the form of worries and anxieties, while for others it manifests in physical problems, such as muscle tension or stomach pain. His colleagues have also found that different people get greater benefit from some methods of relaxing than from others.
Listen to a sample track from Goleman’s Relax: 6 Techniques to Lower Your Stress, a 45-minute audio program to help you naturally reduce stress. The CD is available from More Than Sound.
Follow Dr. Goleman on Twitter: @DanielGolemanEI
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