Stress Relief: Three Ways to Make Reduced Stress a Habit, by Kate Boswell, MFT, Marina del Rey Therapist

Did you know that 80% of what people go to doctors for is stress related? And that most people don't know they can easily learn to reduce stress in their lives? There are many methods of reducing stress. Many of them feed off of each other. If you incorporate one habit into your life, it makes other stress reducing habits easier.

This article will introduce you to three methods: Mindfulness, Breathing Techniques, and Cognitive Reframing.

1. Mindfulness: mindfulness is the practice of focusing your full attention on the present. One way to play with learning mindfulness is through an exercise I call "Bubbles, not Troubles." How long has it been since you washed dishes by hand, instead of using the dishwasher? Washing dishes can be an excellent exercise in training your mind to concentrate on one thing at a time. By focusing on just this one thing, we can take a break from our worried or stressful thoughts.

Feel the warmth of the water. Look at the bubbles. You may see colors in the bubbles as the light plays on them. Notice the colors and shapes of each dish. Of course, your mind will wander, and you may find yourself thinking worried or stressful thoughts. You may even realize that you were mentally somewhere else the whole time, and missed out on just washing.

You can gradually train yourself to be more present in each moment, and less consumed by worries or troubles. Each time you notice a stressful thought, you can gently say to yourself, "Just washing", and bring your attention back.

If washing dishes is not for you, try being mindful during other activities, such as gardening, yard work, or walking,

2. Breathing Techniques: paying attention to your breath is another way to reduce stress. Since we breathe automatically, most of the time we don't think about it. Bringing your breath into your awareness can be very calming.

Sit in a relaxed position. It is helpful to close your eyes. Just notice your breathing without changing it at first. You may notice that your breathing becomes slower and calmer. Mentally count the duration of your breath. Each inhale might last for the count of 4, or 5, for example. Each exhale might last for the same count as the inhale, or a different count. Gradually see if you can comfortably make each breath a second longer. See if you can comfortably make the exhale match the inhale, or a second or two longer than the inhale.

For more information on mindfulness and breathing, I recommend "The Miracle of Mindfulness," by Thich Nhat Hanh.

3. Cognitive Reframing: cognitive reframing is a method for changing your interpretation of a situation that is causing you stress. This comes from cognitive therapy, and is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings.

We often can't control what happens to us, but we can choose to control how we respond. If you are feeling stressed out or lousy or depressed because of something awful that happened, perhaps you can reframe it into a positive. Maybe it is an opportunity to learn or to grow.

If you cannot see how to change it into a positive, maybe you can see it as something that you will be able to solve. This is much less stressful than thinking it is awful, or that it has ruined your life.

For more information about cognitive reframing, I recommend "Mind over Mood," by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. Another book I recommend is "Feeling Good," by David D. Burns.

I hope this brief introduction to three stress reducing practices has been helpful to you. It is my hope that you will try them out and see if you can make them into habits.