Ever feel grumpy? Alone? Isolated? Not sure of which direction to take in your life or career? Tired of “doing it” on your own?

Although uncomfortable, each of these situations provides us with fertile ground, encouraging us to reconnect to the Light within and expand our awareness of who we are and who we are meant to be.

But how you may ask? By putting us in touch with our deepest needs and reasons for being. When we are willing to listen.

The body is an amazing biofeedback system, constantly providing us with vital information for our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Whether you live in a big city (me in NYC!) or a small town, we all struggle with stress and may sometimes find it difficult to rebound.  Heck, just going to the grocery store can be overwhelming! The key to improving our sense of well-being lies in recognizing the body’s signals and knowing when and how to read them.

The following descriptions will help you to identify the Four Aspects of Stress, as they are occurring, followed by 4 ways to improve your health, by using the remedies to help you resolve them.

1. Physical Stress

Effects our energy and vitality levels. Pain, chronic tension, and the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of stress are strong influencers in determining our physical health.

Solution:  Pay attention to the cues your body provides, whether it’s a sore back or tension in your jaw. First and foremost, be honest with yourself about your feelings, needs and wants. Then, when and if appropriate, communicate them to those involved.

2. Emotional Stress

Triggered by fear, emotional stress can be debilitating.

Fear of not having enough, not being enough, not doing enough, enough, enough, enough! Emotional stress can also be triggered by expectations, our interpretations of people, places and events, and by reliving past experiences.***

Solution:  Learning how to identify the source of emotional stress is the first step to managing it. Begin by noticing your response to disappointment and when you feel an internal or external sense of pressure. Then step back and take a breath. Giving yourself time to recoup from emotional stress will help you to assess and respond to the situation more objectively, and will leave you feeling better about yourself and those involved.

***Note: Relieving experiences that conjure up feelings of joy will help to produce endorphins and improve your mood, to boot.

Finding satisfying ways to get your needs met is another key component in developing good emotional health.

3. Mental Stress

What we think (our self-talk) plays a huge role in how we feel, and is often unconscious and habitual. (I have heard it said that we have

60,000 thoughts a day, and most of them are the same!) Unfortunately, the

messages we give ourselves are not always the most thoughtful or kind. How we see the world, and the beliefs we hold true about it, also contribute to our mental health and well-being.

Solution: Notice what you’re focusing your attention on as you move throughout your day. Are you thinking in ways that promote stress or a sense of health and well-being? If you are thinking stressful thoughts, gently shift your attention and try to look at the situation differently. Give yourself messages that are affirming, such as “I am safe,” and “Everything I need is within me.”  And don’t forget to check out your assumptions and the accuracy of your perceptions.

4. Spiritual Stress

 Spiritual stress affects all aspects of our health: physical, mental, and emotional, and stems from feeling disconnected from ourselves and others.

Solution: When feeling out of sorts and unable to connect with yourself or the world around you, find one person you can reach out to and connect with (animals are great, too!) Find ways to nurture and replenish your Spirit. Spend time in nature, get out for a walk, or engage in a creative pursuit.

In addition to better health, alleviating stress will serve to enhance other aspects of your life.  For instance, you may notice your relationships improving, synchronicities occurring, and life looking bigger and brighter. What’s more, access your Higher Mind will become natural, as you clear away the old and make room for intuitive insights and guidance.

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