Stress Management

Beep! Beep!! Beep!!!

My alarm seemed to grow louder and angrier with each prodding ring. I had so much to do, so many demands, that I wanted to hide under the covers rather than face the overpacked day that awaited me.

I.

Was.

Stressed.

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever experienced that overwhelming sense of stress that swells when your to-do list needs a table of contents, and your span of control can be measured in millimeters?

All of us have struggled with stress at some point and I imagine that our stress-meter is out of the Richter scale with all that our world is experiencing. Fortunately, the are several simple tips and tools readily available to us to manage stress.

Here a few tips that have served my clients and me.

On the preventive front, try these tips to minimize your stress:

• Practice Compassion: Practicing compassion for ourselves and also for others can help reduce stress and recreate your relationship to the things or the experiences causing the stress. When we try to suppress it and not acknowledge the stressor, we can inadvertently create more tension. A simple practice of acknowledging the stress and committing to showing yourself and others more kindness can be powerful.
• Create a to-do list: Nothing clears the mind like capturing your must-dos on paper. I like to do this daily in my Ease & Flow Journal. Penning our list removes the responsibility of remembering everything we are accountable for. It helps us organize our lives as we cross off each item we’ve completed and see, at a glance, what tasks remain.  
• Create Simple Routines: Routines allow us to systemize the unchanging elements of your life, thereby saving precious energy. By following the same routine each day, we relegate mundane decisions to auto-pilot and free our brains to tackle more momentous tasks.
• Plan Meals: Use the weekend to plan healthy meals. Make enough to enjoy leftovers the next night or to tuck some in the freezer for later. Get to know your crockpot! Meats and fresh veggies play well at a slow simmer and, with little effort, come out tender and delicious.

Unfortunately, we cannot avoid stress altogether. When it’s time to tackle it head-on, try these tips:

• Move Your Body: The key to a successful regime is doing what you like. I love to dance! There are so many yoga and fitness studios, like the urbanherbalist, that are offering their classes online. Be compassionate with yourself and do what you can every day. Challenge yourself to integrate movement throughout your entire day. Consider standing while you talk on the phone or while you work.
• Meditate: Find a quiet, comfortable space and center yourself. Breathe slowly and deeply as you clear your mind of the day’s tension. Incorporate prayer or repeat a mantra like “peace” to release your stress. Jessica Childs, a certified holistic coach is offering several meditation techniques at our webinar.
• Look for Trends:  If you are serious about busting stress, try keeping a stress log. For one week, document every stressful event as it occurs. At week-end, review the log to determine your biggest and most frequent stressors. Then create a specific, measurable, and timebound plan to tackle one or two of the stressors at a time. 

While stress is a certainty in life, allowing it to overwhelm you is not. For more help tackling stress, reach out to Sophia at SophiaCasey.net. Be sure to check out the growing list of courses in the Ease & Flow Academy.   

Sending you tons of good vibes energy.

Be well.

Sophia