Stress- we all experience it at times. Some stress can be good as it is motivating and helps us to achieve goals. Chronic, ongoing stress however, can have detrimental effects on the body.
Our health, energy levels and knowledge of how to deal with stress can all impact how well we deal with stressful situations. I think we have all had moments where we don’t deal with situations as well as we could due to be run down, tired or have a number of things on our mind.
However, having a few go to strategies can be beneficial to help with dealing with everyday life stresses. Below are a few I have implemented into my lifestyle over the years and find they help….. most of the time. Like everyone else, I am definitely far from perfect and have times I don’t handle situations as well as I could.
- Take a moment to breathe. This brings you back to the present moments and allows more oxygen into your body and to release carbon dioxide. Often when we are stressed we only breathe in shallow breaths which doesn’t help the level of stress on the body.
- Take a moment of ‘time out’ to collect your thoughts before responding to any situation if you can. This can assist with avoiding over-reaction or impulsive decisions.
- Go outdoors. Being in nature, fresh air and sunshine can help reduce stress levels.
- Move. This is personally one of my favourites. I like to take a long walk, but any activity is beneficial. It helps release feel good endorphins and for some to work through what is on their mind.
- Talk to a friend if you feel it may be beneficial to express yourself. However ensure it is someone who will assist with helping to manage your stress and give quality advice.
- Stretch your body. I personally find stretching muscles helps to release built up tension we have in the body. Particularly the neck and shoulders where many people seem to be tense.
- Focus on quality nutrition to assist with health and energy. As much as we may crave sweet foods to assist with dealing with stressful situations, it isn’t beneficial to the body.
- I personally love adaptogens, which are herbs that assist with balancing stress levels, mental clarity and energy. I use these daily to help manage my stress levels.
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, plus try to avoid over consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
- Meditation can be really beneficial to calm the mind and has many health benefits to the brain. Even 5 to 10 minutes can be helpful.
- Try to have adequate amounts of sleep, as stress is elevated significantly when we are tired and fatigued.
- Journal your thoughts and worries. Sometimes writing things down can be quite therapeutic and you can structure your thoughts and rationalize situations more effectively.
- Take time to monitor your thoughts and look for positives in situations as this can often change the perspective of a situation to make it less stressful.
- Practice gratitude each day. By taking time to focus on what is good in our life helps change the neurology in the brain.
These are just some of the strategies I have implemented over the years, however I am sure there are others strategies people find beneficial. We are all different, so what works for one, may not work for another.
I would love to hear how others help manage and deal with stressful situations or if you find any of these are beneficial.
As a final note, being busy, rushed and often dealing with stress primarily due to my overactive mind, I find having simple nutrition an easy option when on the run, along with the adaptogens I love so much for my mental balance. You can read more about what I choose to use here: https://beckurtz.com/simple-nutrition/
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