In these challenging times, the stress factor is high for many folks. I've met countless people who were used to living quite comfortably but now are faced with which bill to pay on time. I have seen the devastating effects that this constant stress and strain can have on the mind, body and spirit.
As you may know, the definition of stress hinges upon how in control we feel at any moment. When you feel a certain perceived threat to your existence, you can feel out of control. This feeling then turns on your body's natural stress response of "flight or fight". At that moment, you either have an innate drive to run away from the threatening/stressful response or you will feel the need to fight!
For example, I am a Vermonter and as such we do not have much traffic. I'm used to slowly moving along on the two-lane highways of the slow paced life. However, since living in San Diego California, I've had to get used to the high traffic and sometimes not so kind drivers.
When I get "cut-off" on the road, it sends a signal that I may be in danger and thus my stress response of flight or fight kicks in. I will then naturally have a response of wanting to "fight" (flipping them off, yelling, etc) or I may experience a feeling of "flight" (getting away from that driver as quickly as possible).
In order to gain a sense of control over this body's natural stress response, you must be open to implementing certain strategies to cope. In my most recent workshop, Stress Management 101, we discussed the following quick tips. Please review them, try them out and let us know how it works for you!
1) Change Your Response: Keep in mind that your first reaction may not always be the best.
2) Ask yourself, “What is to be gained by my response”?
3) Learn to Cope- Engage in “Stress Inoculation”. This concept focuses on assessing the stress in your life, assessing your current coping skills, and making plans to practice what helps you to minimize your negative stress responses.
4) Assess and Simply- eliminate unnecessary obligations, prioritize, and learn to say no
5) Get Support- reach out to friends and family. Join a support group, therapy group, etc.
6) Practice Mindfulness- stop multi-tasking at least 5 minutes of every hour!
7) Incorporate more Eustress (positive stress) into your life. Eustress helps us to accomplish our goals.
8)Move Your Body - when your mind is stressed, it needs a place to go.
9) Get to the top of a hierarchy that matters to you- Having a sense of mastery and control in an area of your life that is important to you will do wonders for your blood pressure!
10) Breathe- practice deep breathing. When you become stress, you tend to naturally shorten your breath. Take a moment to engage in deep abdominal breathing daily.
11) Take Action- If you know you need to make some changes to improve your ability to handle stress in your life, then make a plan and follow it! Contact Rooted Living for more support to accomplish your goals.
Be Well,
Liz Myers
Founder Rooted Living Wellness Coaching
www.rootedliving.com
Rootedliving@gmail.com
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