Stress in our lives is something we absolutely cannot avoid. We live in a fast paced, ever-changing society that requires us to always be on our toes for a variety of reasons. This means to have healthy, happy, successful lives we must grow a stress-care toolbox full of ways to manage our stress productively!
Small amounts of stress are actually normal and quite healthy for us. Do you remember the last time you prepared for a big test or a job interview? You probably felt a bit of stress, but this type of stress actually helped you perform better!
Large amounts of stress; however, are detrimental to our overall physical and mental wellbeing. The body has a fight or flight system that when activated cannot rest until the threat is minimized, and as a result remains in a state of tension. This may show up as racing thoughts, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, accelerated heartbeat, poor judgement, nausea, insomnia, low energy, headaches – and that’s only a few, the list is huge!
When our stress or anxiety is chronic; meaning ongoing and long-lasting, our fight or flight system does not shut off, thus our body cannot recover. This level of stress is dangerous. If prolonged it not only has a negative affect on our mental/emotional health, but on our physical health as well. It can lead to autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, gastrointestinal problems, and that’s only naming a few.
Okay so what stress-care tools do we need in our toolbox?!?! Here are my top 5 stress-care tools for healthy, happy lives.
Tool #1 – Check out your thoughts! Write down some of the thoughts you have when your stress level rises and check out whether these thoughts are true, somewhat true, or n
ot true at all. Our thoughts have a huge impact on our experiences and we have the ability to manage these with just a little effort!
There are dozens of small areas in our lives where we experience stress that we actually created ourselves by having negative assumptions of situations and others.
Tool #2 is exercise!!! I know this is something most of you have heard before, but that’s because it is so true! Building exercise into our regular routine does wonders
for the mind and body! When we exercise, several areas of our brain are affected including the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. These are also the areas involved in emotional processing and affect. Through the process of exercising, our bodies release chemicals called dopamine and endorphins that result in us feeling happy. At
the same time, exercising will help your body to rid itself of the negative chemicals that cause stress.
Tool #3 is creating healthy boundaries for yourself! You know yourself better than anyone, so you know what you can handle! Get honest with yourself and talk to the people in your life (boss, coworkers, partner, siblings, parents etc.). Let them know how you’re feeling and wh
at you can and can’t take on. Prioritize what is really important to you, and then eliminate and delegate! Eliminate any unnecessary things on your to do l
ist, and delegate tasks to others wherever possible.
Tool #4 is practice mindful meditation once a day for at least 20 minutes. When there are so many time constraints on our lives finding 20 minutes to do this can be hard! Try incorporating it into something you already do such as a walk, or putting on your make-up!
Research shows that mindful meditation has the power to reduce stress, treat heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic pain, and improve sleep! The practice of being present is more powerful than you’d think!
And lastly my 5th tool is to reach out and talk to someone. It can be a friend, family member, or a counsellor/therapist, but share how you’re feeling! As human beings we crave connection, it’s in our DNA, we are not meant to go through life on our own. The reality is it is more difficult for us to untangle the web of thoughts and feelings going on inside us by ourselves. When we reach out and talk to someone, it is easier for us to find clarity by hearing the issues out load and listening to an outside perspective.
These are my top 5 stress-care tools, but there are hundreds of ways to help ourselves better manage the stress in our lives! Take the time to create a plan to manage the stress in your life. Invest in you! You’re worth it.
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