Our body is the one and only vehicle we have to be present here and now. Stress is generated in our minds and the stress receptor is our body. The same is true for every single emotion we experience throughout the day.
Part of our body care starts with us taking care of our minds. This is why meditating is an essential practice for our body's wellbeing.
It's easy to keep feeling stressed after you first started to feel that familiar tension all around the body, isn't it? What happens is that you've created a habit of feeling this same way almost every day —because of something that may have happened long ago— and your body has gotten used to feeling anxious, stressed, and tense, and although this may sound counterintuitive, it's been so long feeling this way —for no apparent reason— that your body actually prefers to feel like this because it is what it knows, it is comfortable, it is safe.
The simple act of being aware of this can change the way you feel and give you control over the stress and tension in your body. Watch the mind, change the body. This is something you can do to start modifying those stressing habits:
Feel and observe your body. Pay close attention to the areas in which you sense the most tension. Simply observe, DO NOT make any judgments.
Continue to breathe naturally and try bringing your attention to the tension zones whenever you exhale... focus your attention. Repeat this exact same process over and over again. It's normal that your mind starts to wander, but try to regain the focus on your breathing.
After just a few minutes —sometimes 3 minutes may suffice— you'll begin to notice how the tension in your body has diminished.
Remember, your body lives in the present moment, and by focusing your attention on it, you're reducing the power over mind so the body can respond in a more natural way.
So, every time you feel the tension in your body, this exercise can help you reduce the discomfort and bring you to the present moment.