This week our goal for our Wellness Monday is to manage and reframe our stress! It's something we are all familiar with and all talk about! Stress is important and can be good, but staying in a stress mode is damaging to our bodies. The good news is that we can learn to manage our stress!
Stress is your body’s helpful and purposeful reaction to harmful situations. However, your stress response kicks in when the situation is real or simply just perceived. This is where it ties together with worry and anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of dread, fear, or uneasiness. When you start to feel anxious, your stress response kicks in for that perceived threat. A chemical reaction occurs, known as ‘fight or flight’ mode. It’s a form of self-protection. This perception is what allows author/ speaker Mel Robbins' 5 Second rule to work. When we count backwards from 5 and then reframe the situation we help our bodies deal with the stress. For example you feel anxious about a situation, try saying "5,4,3,2,1 I'm excited". Your body doesn't know the difference.
Now, not all stress is bad. It does help you take action and protect yourself in real harmful situations. It becomes a problem, though, when you remain in a constant state of heightened stress and anxiety. You can imagine how much energy that response takes up in your body!
Instead of your body getting a jolt of energy and adrenaline and then coming back down, it just stays in that ‘fight or flight’ mode. Then your body needs all the energy it creates just to fuel that stress response. No wonder with our stressful, busy lives we always feel tired and run-down! There’s no energy left in our bodies to do what we need to and want to do.
Staying in this state impacts things like:
Sleep disturbances
Excessive sweating
Headaches or dizziness
Fast heartbeat
Muscle aches and tension
High blood pressure
Dry mouth
Digestive issues
Fatigue and low energy
Irritability and mood swings
More frequent illness
Chest pain or tightness
Lack of focus and brain fog
Restlessness
Forgetfulness
Clenching or grinding teeth
Difficulty making decisions
Racing thoughts
OK, Great you say! Yes, this is me! You say! Don't worry, let's look at what we can do.
The key to reducing stress and anxiety is to reduce your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the ‘stress hormone’ that is responsible for triggering the stress response. It’s like your body’s built-in alarm system. When your cortisol levels stay too high, your stress stays high. Adrenals are the glands that make cortisol. This list also helps support healthy adrenals and avoid adrenal fatigue.
Reduce or eliminate the following things to lower your body’s stress levels!
⬇️ Reduce your caffeine intake, especially after noon
⬇️ Stop staying up too late
⬇️ Reduce screen time in the evening
⬇️ Stop doing high-intensity exercise
⬇️ Stop smoking and drinking alcohol
⬇️ Reduce processed/excessive sugar
⬇️ Stop overcommitting to things
⬇️ Stop watching the news or scrolling social media
⬇️ Take a walk
⬇️ Hang out with a friend
⬇️ Do some Yoga, Tai Chi or stretching
⬇️ Meditate/pray
⬇️ Practice Deep Breathing
⬇️ 5-Second Rule and reframe your stress
Another way to help when we are feeling anxious is the 3-3-3 method:
✅ Identify 3 things you can see. Look for specific things like certain colors, patterns or shapes. Try looking for things that you have never noticed before.
✅ Listen for 3 things you can hear. Identify specific sounds around you and focus on them.
✅ Move or touch 3 things. Move your body. Stretch your toes or reach your arms out. Or touch something around you and focus on the texture and feeling.
This is a great strategy to stop anxiety in the moment. However, don’t neglect the rest of what we talked about and don't be ashamed or afraid to seek any professional help you may need to get to the root of your anxiety.
In the comment section share you you manage your stress.
I wish you a week free of negative stress!
Adapted with permission from Coach Content Collaboration, visit my affiliate link.
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