Learn from Kids how to Reduce Stress Why is it that kids can play hours on end without thinking twice about anything? Simple, because they are engrossed in their world of play, they are aware of neither the past nor the future. They are not thinking about what they did a minute ago, let alone two weeks ago, nor or they thinking about what is going to happen next, they simply are living in the present. Think about what children do when they play, they lose themselves in the pleasure of the moment.

When was the last time that you lost yourself in the moment?

The ability to shift one’s awareness to the present time and focus it there is key to stress reduction. When our focus is centralized on the present we tend to have the ability to really smell the roses. Our mind is opened enough to take into account all of the sensations that we are feeling, and our bodies are much more sensitive to stimulation. When receiving a massage through a massage therapist, many times they will be playing very soothing music and have some sort of aroma therapy. This way as we get accustomed to the touch of another’s hand, our mind goes onto the next sensation instead of back to what we need to pick up at the grocery store on our way home.

If you think about many of the products, services, and techniques in the world of stress reduction, they are simply designed to allow your mind to focus on one aspect. Take for example the Chinese health balls. The silver balls with chimes inside that you are supposed to roll on a circular pattern on your hand. When rolling these balls in one’s hand it takes concentration, once you get a feel for this you are drawn in by the sounds of the chimes and how differently they sound as you continue to roll the balls around. Another example would be that of the mantra meditation technique, in which a person repeats a word with no meaning over and over again. Doing this focuses the individual on repeating the word so that their mind cannot drift back to the bad day they had a work.

As adults, we need this ability to shift our awareness from rational and logical concerns to a level that is free and centered on the moment. There are many techniques that you can read about and different techniques work for different people. The main thing is to think like a child, seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, feeling, and enjoying the moment for the pure fun of it.

So next time you are feeling stressed, immerse yourself into the world of a child. Try coloring in a coloring book, being careful to stay within the lines and choose your colors because they feel good to you, not because you know rabbits are supposed to be brown, white, or gray, because a red and yellow bunny makes you feel good.

Click here to learn more about immersing yourself in the moment.