Stress happens when you believe that what is demanded of you is more than you can cope with. Whether it be work, school or relationships, stress is always lurking when you begin to feel overwhelmed.
While some stress is good and can be motivating – think work deadlines or an exam – constant stress has serious consequences. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. Long term stress can lead to the development of major illnesses, such as heart disease, depression and obesity.
We’re very aware of the negative health effects of stress, but there is another reason to tackle stress management: stress keeps us from truly living our lives.
Whilst in the middle of stress, the very best part of us ceases to exist. We get stuck in fight or flight mode. Which is our bodies natural response to a frightening situation. But when we’re OFTEN in a fight or fight response, we’re continually existing in survival mode. We are not thinking or acting, we are reacting. We lose our ability to rationally respond to the world and are only focused on how overwhelmed we are.
Do you mention something about being stressed, overwhelmed, or ‘being too busy’ often?
Are you even aware of the negative effects of stress in your life?
Do you get aggravated or frustrated easily?
Have you stopped doing things that make you… you?
Have you noticed a decline in your decision making skills?
Do you feel like you’re less productive or never have enough time to get everything done?
If you answered YES to ANY of the above questions then you need some stress alternatives. Here are some easy ways to decrease the stress in your life in addition to the standard exercise/eat well/meditate routine.
When you name it you claim it and THEN you can address it. When you recognise your personal stress signals it helps to slow the buildup of negativity and anxiety.
Benefits of De-Stressing
Helps eliminate unnecessary energy drain.
Maintains stored resiliency.
Impatience, irritability, anger decrease.
Improves physical and mental health.
Greater access to intuition.
Memory, focus, other brain functions improve.
More energy in daytime, restful sleep at night.
We’ve heard tons (and I’ve written tons) on ways to decrease stress: journaling/meditation/exercise/etc. But lately I’ve been thinking a lot on fun, active and NEW ways to bring some “YOU” time into your life.
Soak
Water is a terrific de-stressor. Take a hot bubble bath by candlelight with some soft jazz playing. Or, if you only have a few minutes, soak your feet in some herb-infused warm water. Swimming is another really terrific way to release stress (find an indoor pool for the colder months). The underwater silence combined with the rhythmic arm movements of your strokes can be so soothing.
Create
Doodle, paint, crochet or craft. Creating something unique and beautful can relax your mind and your body. Take an art class or a pottery class. They DO have wine and painting courses locally that look to be TONS of fun.
Escape
Connect with nature by hiking through the woods, walking in the park, strolling on the beach or kayaking up a creek. Breathing in the outdoors enables you to leave the everyday world behind and immediately begins the decompression of your built-up stress. If you can’t afford to take a proper vacation, lots of fun can be had by taking a “staycation”. The point is you need to escape from the every day stress that is wearing you down.
Dance
On crazy days, the mental and physical break of throwing an impromptu dance party can be a life saver. Play your favorite tunes and try out some silly moves in your living room or office.. Moving your body and singing along is a great way to shake off all that built-up muscle tension.
And speaking of dancing… I’d love help you out with that with the Quarterly After Work Jam on Monday nights…
A place where you can just chill out after work, a place where the ethos is :
a) When it comes to stressful situations and stressful people, knock it out the park
b) Forget your job title – it’s OK, honestly
c) Let go, enjoy yourself and re-charge
The next After Work Jam will be in June, sign up for the newsletter where you’ll see all the details.
How do you de-stress? Do you like to do activities or just relax? Let’s talk about it on Facebook,Twitter, and Instagram.
u mention something about being stressed, overwhelmed, or ‘being too busy’ often?
