Tonglen: the best way to reduce stress. Our basic instinct is to want to push away what doesn’t feel good. We want it out of our bodies, out of our minds.  The crushing sense of anxiety in my chest isn’t something I want to make space for, I want to get rid of it. And I want to get rid of it now!

But that isn’t how it works. The harder you push it away either by getting mad at yourself for being stressed or just denying the sensation, the more it persists. Yes, you can go for a run, you can take an anti-anxiety.