Stress: there’s no escaping it.

Life, with all its uncertainties, is filled to the brim with potential stress triggers. Especially this year, when just about everything we’ve grounded ourselves in seems to be shifting on a near-daily basis.

However, just because we encounter stressful situations doesn’t mean that stress has to consume us.

It’s all about learning how to view stress not as a debilitating state, but as an opportunity for personal growth and a chance to develop resiliency.

Implementing simple mindfulness practices into your life can help you fight stress by teaching yourself to ground yourself in the present and calm your body’s fight-or-flight response.

HERE ARE 3 SIMPLE MINDFULNESS PRACTICES TO FIGHT STRESS IN YOUR DAILY LIFE:

1. Mindfulness Walk

Mindfulness is all about paying attention to the right now. That tense feeling of stress common to the modern man and woman is often the result of a mental burden, rather than a physical one. Often, our stress is a result of what-ifs: future-oriented possibilities that are not currently—and may never be—our reality.

What if I fail during next week’s work presentation?

What if I get laid off and can’t meet mortgage payments?

What if the symptoms I feel are a sign of something debilitating?

What if that relationship can’t be trusted, after all?

But by grounding ourselves in the physical present, we tell our bodies that we are safe—that the fight-or-flight feeling is unnecessary, because we are not under physical threat.

A mindfulness walk is one grounding practice that invites us to shift our focus from the what ifs to the right now.

A mindfulness walk isn’t about burning calories or working up a sweat. It’s simply about paying attention to the physical sensations of your body as you walk at a leisurely pace.

How do your shoulders feel? What about your knees and feet as you take each step? Do your muscles feel tight? Relaxed? Powerful? Try to match your breathing with your steps as you take a short 10 - 15 minute walk.

2. Breathing Meditation

I often encourage my Instagram followers to take a “mindful minute.”

This breathing meditation is an excellent way to take this mindful minute to reconnect with yourself.

Begin by finding a quiet place alone. Relax your body, close your eyes, and calm your mind.

Focus on the flow of your breath—the gentle inhales and exhales—and nothing else.

Your mind is a lot like a child wandering from fascination to fascination. It’s likely that it will want to wander away, but don’t worry, this is natural. Allow those thoughts to float by with non-judgmental observation, then shift your focus back onto your breath. You can practice this breathing meditation for however long feels right to you.

3. Daily Journaling

Journaling is a powerful mindfulness practice that offers very real, proven health benefits.

Each morning, I set aside 10 - 15 minutes for my own journaling practice. It has been a powerful tool in my mindfulness arsenal, allowing me to reflect on the day prior and set my intentions for the day ahead.

Studies have shown journaling to be linked to our physical wellness, like improvements in lung function for sufferers of asthma, reduced pain in cancer patients, improved immune system functioning, reduced hospital stays for cystic fibrosis patients, and more.

Additionally, facing emotions you’ve been avoiding through journaling may help reduce stress that comes along with suppressing those feelings.

Read about the 3 mindfulness journaling practices you can apply to your life.