Everyone experiences stress. It’s a normal part of life. It becomes an issue when it gets out of control or dictates our actions. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the stressors in my life and how I manage stress. I also observe this in other people. It’s important to know and understand this part of ourselves because it has such a huge impact on our lives and on our health. This society seems to have normalized living in a constant state of stress. It’s no good! It’s time to prioritize a stress-reduced life so you can finally breathe easy. Below you'll find 8 ways to reduce stress now.
What is stress?
Now when I say stress-reduced, I of course don’t mean getting rid of stress completely. Stress is a natural response of the nervous system (your body) to certain situations. We can experience stress for many reasons and in many ways. Sometimes it’s very helpful and can help protect you. Other times, the body perceives a threat when there is none.
You can feel stress in the mind, in the body, and in the spirit. Repetitive thoughts, thinking of negative outcomes, a general sense of panic. Tension in the muscles, tightness, an ache in a certain body area (stomach ache is common). Disconnecting from self and others, numbing. Anxiety, an overstimulated nervous system.
Stress shows up as stagnant energy in the body, building, creating tension and more stress.
How to reduce stress.
Because stress has to do with stagnant energy, a build up of nervous system tension, relieving stress is about changing the energy. Finding ways to let it flow.
The key is to find what works for you in different situations and develop a protocol. A protocol as in a standard procedure and rules to follow when you’re confronting with various stressors. Stressed cause of a work deadline? Maybe getting your heart rate up for 10 minutes works for you. Or maybe taking a few minutes to breathe deeply. Get to know yourself and which tools/strategies work for you and when.
Strategies to reduce stress.
If you want to implement any of these, I suggest focusing on 1 or 2 at a time. Set yourself up for success. Think about what might get in the way of you succeeding, and try to eliminate that barrier. Or be ready to adapt if it comes up.
Sleep - Getting quality sleep every night. The goal is going to bed at a similar time every night and getting enough hours.
Food - Eating nutritious, balanced food and regularly. (And not emotional eating)
Movement - Being physically active daily and multiple times a day. Focusing on Intuitive movement. Considering, what does your body need? What feels good? There are so many ways! Stretch, mobility, cardio, lifting, walk.
Listen to music - Find music that calms you, that rejuvinates you. There’s music for every emotion/state of being.
Express yourself/Create - Whether it be through dancing, singing, creating artwork. Use any form of art as emotional release. The goal isn’t necessarily to create something beautiful. The goal is to channel the energy inside yourself and let it flow freely into whatever you’re creating.
Write - Put your thoughts down on paper. Use Intentional Writing to write down tasks, to do lists, to journal, etc. Set your intention to release whatever is on your mind onto the paper. As you write each task or emotion or whatever it may be, repeat to yourself that you’re releasing this from your body, mind, and spirit.
Sensual/sexual release - Focus on your senses and your self.
Go outside - Spend some time out in Nature, reconnecting with our source energy and grounding yourself.
BONUS! I couldn't keep this powerful tool off the list. Intentional breathing! This is an amazing way to reduce stress levels. Meditation is a form of intentional breathing. The goal is to lengthen and deepen the breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. As you get better, you can play around and change it up.
Why is it important to reduce stress?
The short answer is for good health and a more enjoyable life. Stress and all the ways it manifests in the body can cause issues if it isn’t released. Physical, mental, and spiritual issues often surface because of stress. If the body is never able to fully relax, it can’t recover and heal from daily life. We need intentional rest. Far more than we need to push ourselves. Intentional rest is being able to relax without your mind jumping from one thought to another, or being distracted by multiple devices/activities at once. It’s allowing yourself peace and quiet.
You're living this life for you. So please consider why you let your stress increase. And consider who you allow to stress you out. Is it want you want?
Moving forward...
Why is it important to you to reduce stress?
What are your go-to strategies to reduce stress? How are they working for you?
Is there anything you’d change or add to your current approach to manage stress (aka your protocol)?
Happy de-stressing!
Andreana
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