Are you, like many of us, experiencing high levels of stress in this ever-changing world? If so, perhaps you’re feeling anxiety, worry, depression, insomnia, heart and digestive issues. Or you might be reaching for outside substances like food and alcohol to cope with daily demands.

You deserve relief.

Here’s a 5 minute exercise from the HeartMath Institute (www.heartmath.org) that I find very helpful to relax my heart and emotions. I read about it in an excellent book entitled Upgrade Your Brain by Patrick Holford (which I highly recommend).

With practice, these 3 steps can help you reset your physiological response to stress, allowing you to become more emotionally resilient under pressure, feel calmer in general and improve your creativity and intuition.

Heart Focus: focus on your heart in the center of your chest.
Heart Breathing: Imagine your breath flowing in and out of that region. Aim to breathe regularly, for instance 5 counts in and 5 counts out, or whatever pace is comfortable for you.
Heart Feeling: As you breathe in and out of your heart area, recall a positive emotion and try to re-experience it. This could be a time spent with someone you love, walking in your favorite spot, stroking a pet, picturing a scenic location you admire, or just feeling gratitude for the day. If your mind wanders, just bring ti gently back to the positive experience.

It really is this simple. Just 5 minutes a day, first thing in the morning or during a break or at the end of the day. It can help you feel calmer, more content and better able to deal with stress as it occurs.

And of course, I also highly recommend hypnosis, which is a quick way to make personal changes. My recordings are generally 20 minutes in length. For anti-anxiety, try my Stress Release, Inner Peace or Relaxation Techniques recordings, To release negative thinking, my Letting Go of Worry and Anxiety recording can be very useful. For general health, I recommend my Weight Loss Hypnosis, Self Esteem and Confidence, Quit Smoking and End Insomnia recordings.

My son and daughter-in-law gifted me a digital photo frame. It’s downloaded with over 150 photos of people and pets I love and situated where I see it several times a day from my favorite chair or as I walk by. My heart gets a big boost of love energy several times a day, reminding me of the true priorities of life. Perhaps gift yourself a digital photo frame!

Thank you so much for reading this article. I hope it has enriched your life.

Wishing you wellness, peace and joy,
Kristin