During the past couple of weeks, my stress levels have been increasing. I have also been feeling less confident and more insecure. This is due to the changes that are currently going on in my life.
When you are getting into the spiral of stress, it is so easy to fall away from your normal routines. For example, I started skipping my regular morning runs and other daily self-care practices. This is just giving my stress the extra fuel to grow stronger. To gain back control over the stressful situation, here are my top 3 strategies:
List your priorities: When the to-do list is getting longer and your time is limited, you are getting increasingly overwhelmed. This is when we often tend to start from the easy tasks we are good at. Instead, list your priorities that are going to make the biggest impact and start from there. When you notice the progress, you will feel less pressure.
Talk about your stress: During times of stress, many of us tend to keep our worries to ourselves. What then happens is that worries become bigger in your head than they actually are. Open up and talk about what is going on inside you. This will let the pressure and negative emotions come out and while doing so, you realize your problems aren’t as big as you thought they would be.
Exercise: Exercise is the most efficient way to reduce stress and cut the stress response cycle in your body. After your practice, you will have a refreshed mind. During the stress, it is good to increase the frequency of exercise but keep your practice light. Heavy push is the last thing your body needs during the stress.
These are my top strategies to control stress. Write down the things that will help you to break the cycle of stress and return to that list when you are going through difficult times.
If you would like to learn more about stress management or would need help from a health & wellness coach, get in touch: anna@jenkinshealthcoaching.com