Stress strategy tips
Hey gorgeous how are you? I hope you are fab and well?.
If you are anything like myself, my other clients or loved ones I am thinking you might sometimes feel a bit stressed!!! Aggghh!!! And if you are anything like me you might also struggle to give yourself permission to give yourself some time to de stress or unwind… is that you? And then you might end up using food or alcohol to ‘destress you’ as this is a way you know has worked well for you in the past. Is that you?
The truth is everyday stressors such as work and family responsibilities can overwhelm us and then when some other unexpected events or even joyful plans are put on top of every day life we can feel like we are sinking. Who has felt like this ever? And then often the easiest coping mechanism for many of us is to use comfort food and booze as a way to distract the mind and to literally calm us down. Unfortunately though this can not only play havoc with your weight, but also your health, sleep and overall happiness levels in the long term. So this week I am going to give you 7 ways to help you feel calmer without using food and wine! Yay.
- Declutter. – yep I have written an email about this before and is definitely so helpful. To the brain – clutter represents unfinished business and this looming presence of not finishing something can be super stressful for so many. Decluttering can absolutely be beneficial for managing stress. Try taking a few mins every day to tidy up a different area of your home. I did another clear out this week and gave some bits to charity and some friends too! Yay. I felt so much better for it too. Schedule in 5 mins a day to tidy up a drawer or work space etc. Put some uplifting music on whilst you do it and you will begin to feel so much more in control and focused. Woo hoo.
- Practice self care – often people over look this but its so important. It helps us to restore energy and gives us a buffer of energy against future curveballs. I recommend this is woven into your every day routine. Things to look at could include meditation -check out the apps Calm, Headspace or type in YouTube for some powerful meditation. Power breathing work especially box breathing Is super helpful with calming you down, as well journaling and writing down things to release that stress, reading, listening to inspiring podcasts etc. Self care is also about having healthier, happier wholefoods too. Aim to eat way more fruits, veggies, salads, good quality grains, lean proteins etc and less processed, crap foods.
- More moving. Exercise is a massive stress reliever and it increases your feel good hormones – endorphins. It truly will have a positive affect on your body and mind. If I am feeling highly stressed or overwhelmed then I will always go out for a quick power walk or jog in the fields nearby to change how I feel. It changes my state immediately and boy am I grateful afterwards for moving. I truly recommend that you start your day with exercise/movement and powerful self talk/affirmations to set up your day fabulously. If you are super busy at work and your job is sedentary, I would recommend breaking up your day – at lunch time or immediately after work with some joyful movement for 15mins. Also keep giving yourself movement breaks through out the day too – even a simple stretch. A simple stretch can have profound effects on stress levels, energy, mental clarity, digestive health and immune health. So I say get moving more gorgeous!
- Connect more with your loved ones. Spending time with your family and loved ones will often come out top on what we are grateful for. Every day when I journal, one of the questions I am asked in my app is about what were the highlights of my day. And guess what these are nearly always to do with? My loved ones. I am always journaling about how I love spending time with my loved ones, friends and clients etc. Socialising for so many is a great way of getting rid of stress. So if you are feeling anxious and stressed then reach out to a loved one – instead of a Vino- to have a reassuring chat or a hug.
- Have a cold shower! Yep it sounds scarily crazy but It certainly can help. Stress and anxiety cause an increase in blood pressure, and so in theory showering in cold water can help bring this down. Also cold water can also hep to decrease levels of cortisol. Have a think about including a quick blast of cold water at the end of your usual shower, or jumping in a shower for a minute whenever stress threatens to overwhelm you.
- Have a think about trialing a homeopathic remedy to calm your senses down. I am a huge fan of Vogel stress drops. And Helios stress relief homeopathic pills. I have used both these remedies when I was going through a very stressful divorce and on the lead up to when I have had hospital procedures. I swear by these.
- And the final tip is limit phone use. – lockdown lead to a huge surge in screen time with our usage going up and people spending nearly 40% of their day on the phone! But having our phones constantly at arms reach means we are continually raising our levels of the stress hormone cortisol which impacts our health. In fact omg this is a massive one for me still. A few weeks back we went away on holiday to Dubai and I felt so refreshed and relaxed after our wonderful time away especially as I had locked my phone every day in the safe and so barely had had any screen time or contact on social media etc. And I even wrote an email a week later talking about setting up new boundaries with my screen time and thereby reducing it at night so I could be more present for my family etc. As the truth is I often get lost in rabbit holes on social media! eek. But guess what? The old ways are already slipping back! Double Eek! So now this email is an absolute declaration to myself and you that I am going to absolutely stick to one of my new goals– (declaring your goal to others is a much easier way often to stick to it) and that is that I wont be on my WhatsApp or on social media screen after 7.30pm! ok. Done!!
So how do we limit our use. Declare to others that you are going to build boundaries around your phone and have an accountability buddy on this. Decide a time you are going to switch your phone off and do! Also have your phone set to – do not disturb – when you are at work or with friends. Also once a month go through your phone and unfollow anyone in your social media that causes you stress or upsets you. Life is to short to be drained by social media too!
Give these tips a go- I know they will help. I also would recommend that every once in a while you have an unexpected day off and take time to rest, recoup, wander in nature, spend time with loved ones or even go shopping up in London – like I did the other day. Sometimes self care and de stressing is a day in London, walking around a park, shopping and having a nice lunch with a loved one. Lol
Life is all about balance it truly is.
Need some support and help with your mindset to live a happier, healthier more balanced life? Message me today.
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