Stress.
What is stress?
Stress is a reaction to mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances often relating to feeling out of control but sometimes it is less obvious.
Today I am going to be talking about how to manage the types of stress we come across every day, the kind of stress we can help ourselves out of if we put a little effort into organising our lives and taking the best care of ourselves. If you are struggling with more than this it is important to talk to family and friends, if you can’t do this then there are organisations trained to talk such as the Samaritans,
What are the symptoms of stress?
Physical:
- Headaches/dizziness
- Muscle Tension or pain
- Chest pain/faster
heart beat - Sexual problems
- Low energy
Mental
- Difficulty concentrating
- Struggling to make decisions
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Constantly worrying
- Being forgetful
Behaviour
- Irritable and snappy
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Eating too much or too little
- Avoiding certain places or people
- Drinking or smoking too much
7 ways to reduce stress
1.Exercise
Exercise releases feel good endorphins (chemicals which improve your mood and are natural painkillers) and lowers stress hormones such as cortisol. It also helps you get good quality sleep. You don’t need to go mad, a gentle yoga class or meditation might be just what you need.
2.Eat Well
Make sure you are getting a balanced diet. Keep a food diary for a few days and assess where you can improve. Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake as this can stress your body in the long term. Are you lacking in essential vitamins or minerals? You may wish to consider a supplement.
3.Get enough sleep
Not too much, not too little. Its hard to get the balance right but the average adult needs between 6-8 hours sleep per night. A good nights sleep reduces stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Plus, everything looks better in the morning!
4.Me time
Make time during your week for you! Take a bath, light a candle, play your favourite music, read a few pages of a book, catch up on your favourite TV shows. What ever you enjoy doing, it doesn’t have to be for long but carve out some time just for you. You could even spend some time journaling, the practise of writing down everything that is going on in your head can be very therapeutic and may help you take stock of what is really troubling you.
5.Get together with Friends and Family
Have fun! Make dates in your diary to catch up with the people who light you up! Laugh, moan, cry, get it all out. A study has found, that for women in particular, this helps release oxytocin a natural stress reliever.
6.Be positive
This might take some work if you are not wired this way but consciously try to smile, think of something positive in every situation. Live in the moment,
if you are depressed you are living in the past, if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace you are living in the present.
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Keep a journal of everything you are grateful for and read it before you go to bed. Avoid negativity. Have a break from social media, or only follow people with a high vibration that make you feel good.
7.Take Control
Do you have something on your ‘To Do’ list that you are avoiding but it is there nagging you in the back of your mind? In his book ‘Eat that Frog’ Brian Tracy coaches to tackle these things first, get it over with and move forward, honestly it feels so good when you do! Take time to plan,
Every minute you spend in planning saves you 10 minutes in execution, this gives you 1000 percent return in energy!
Brian Tracy
If you can spend time planning once a week you will be able to manage your time more effectively, think what else you will be able to achieve! Put systems in place, do you have a morning or evening routine to help you prepare for the day ahead?
We also need to learn to say No! Set limits on your time and availability with people who are takers or drainers. We also need to remember that sometimes events are out of our control and all we can do it deal with what we are dealt and also don’t be too proud to ask for help.
In conclusion
You aren’t going to combat stress overnight but I hope these tips give you some positive steps to implement into your life. It is all about coping strategies for life and everyones life is different, you need to find what works for you, what your Life Balance looks like.
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.