Got stress? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t! But seriously, we all experience stress in so many areas of our lives. We also cope with stress in all sorts of ways. What are some ways you’ve been dealing with stress? Have you been dealing with it?
The answer to this question can be complicated— you can only respond to stress triggers in a certain manner depending on the environment I am currently in. Think about it— we are at work, we are with our families, we are with clients. All. Day.
The way we respond to stress in front of a client or coworker is probably going to look different than the way we respond in front of a family member or friend. But regardless, it’s going to come out sooner or later. The important thing is that stress relief is done in a healthy, constructive manner.
Exercise, hobbies, going for a walk, hanging out with friends or family– these are all healthy outlets for stress. Unhealthy outlets for stress would be a growing temper, feeling increasingly anxious, over or under eating, excessive alcohol or drugs, etc. Of course, no one is perfect! There are no expectations here. What I do ask, is that you take a moment to self-reflect on how you have been handling stress in your life.
One thing that has seriously been helping me identify stress in Mindfulness. Mindfulness teaches us to create awareness. Awareness of ourselves, our environment, and our reactions to stimuli within the environment. It may seem like a lot; however, as you begin to become more mindful of yourself and the world around you, you will feel more and more at peace. Or at least that’s the goal.
The process isn’t fool proof. We are all Human after all. It takes work to interrupt our current thought process. I have created a simple “check-in & reflect” resource that may help get you started. You can find it by clicking here.
Yoga, breathwork, and meditation are also very helpful in managing our stress levels. How so? Yoga and meditation bring awareness to your breathing and movement. Meditation can naturally lower stress levels by creating deeper breathing and sending messages to your brain to calm down and relax. I would like to share this short video on alternate nostril breathing that will help to balance your brain and body. You can click here to access it.
If you found any of these resources helpful, I would love to hear from you! There are so many ways to incorporate Mindfulness into your daily routine to combat stress. It’s really all about mindset and interrupting your thought process.
