insideSUSSEX Magazine | Page 62

HEALTH + WELLNESS

CHANNEL YOUR

INNER ZEN

You may think karma ’ s a load of claptrap , and perhaps manifesting your intentions by way of a mood board isn ’ t for you , but … Zen – a Japanese school of thought that emphasises the value of meditation and intuition over ritual worship or study of scriptures – is more about rethinking your state of mind to stay more in control of your mental and physical health . It ’ s easier than you think to channel your inner Zen ; we ’ ve all got it happily lurking somewhere , and there ’ s no harm in adopting simple strategies to deal with life ’ s stresses , so we ’ ve put together a few pointers to help you be the most peaceful version of yourself . BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
Resolve conflict
Conflict within relationships – be that with your partner , a friend , or a stroppy teenage child – is inevitable for most people and can be a huge source of stress albeit a fleeting and infrequent one .
How you view conflict , however , plays a huge role in how you let it affect you . If you view it as wholly detrimental , it ’ s more likely to become a self-fulfilling prophecy , but if you flip that and view it as a necessary , even positive step towards development in a relationship , when resolved it ’ ll serve to enhance your awareness of one another and reinforce your bond . Try and think through why the conflict has elicited such strong emotions before you attempt to work it out and the outcome will be a far healthier one .
Let it go
When you hold a grudge , your body ( as well as your mind ) actually holds the grudge , which can lead to physical symptoms like panic attacks and an unsettled stomach . Forgiveness isn ’ t the easiest thing in the world , but holding a grudge is pointless too and will just cause you more stress in the long term . Letting go of any anger or negativity that you associate with a person or situation frees you up mentally to work out whether you want to try and resolve the issues that have occurred , or just walk away – letting go doesn ’ t mean you have to be best buds with someone who ’ s hurt or hugely offended you , but it does mean giving yourself a break from the burden .
Stop complaining
What with thoughtless memes and outright trolling , there ’ s a lot of ugliness that ’ s thrown at people by people that don ’ t even know said people these days . It ’ s not good , for anyone , so flip it and start upping your positivity quotient . OK , there might not be any cucumbers left in Tesco , it might be cold and rainy outside , or Monday morning might fast be approaching , but every time you complain , you ’ re heaping a big dollop of negative energy not just into your life , but into the world overall . Complaining breeds complaining , so before you start waxing lyrical about your peeves , stop and try to think of a way to solve the problem – there will be other cucumbers ; you ’ re lucky to have a warm , dry home ; and , Monday marks a fresh week full of fresh opportunities . If you can ’ t solve it , move on . Life ’ s too short .
62