We all experience stress at some point during life. But if your stress levels are getting on top of you, there are small adjustments that can help you to cope.
When you’re busy, it’s easy to put your head down and push through. You just keep going until you finally crash and burn. But what if there were some small tweaks that could prevent that end-stage burnout?
No one likes feeling overwhelmed, but we all do on occasion. If life is getting you down and stressed, there are some easy tips that can keep you cool and calm.
Stress plays a huge role in our hormones and inflammation. It can make things worse including increases in pain, hot flushes, weight gain and migraines.
Get good sleep
It’s tempting to stay up late and finish the project you brought home from work or binge watch your favourite Netflix show. If you want to stay on top of things, sleep is a non-negotiable. That means getting enough sleep AND making sure it is quality sleep.
Some simple ways to get a good night sleep when you’re feeling stressed include:
- Writing down anything that is worrying you before you go to sleep
- Switching off social media and electronic devices at least 30-60 minutes before bed
- Have a wind-down routine with things like herbal tea, turning down any dimmable lights, and a warm shower or bath.
- Drink a small cup or organic herbal Tea. My Sleeping Beauty Tea was specifically designed to calm and relax with Chamomile, Lavender, Passionflower and Lemon Balm. Sleeping Beauty Tea
Move your body
Exercise is often one of the first things to go out the window when the pressure is on.
Work is crazy at the moment, working 10 hour days so the last thing you feel like doing when you finish work is going to the gym. This cycle repeats for 3 weeks and before you know it, you haven’t exercises in weeks. Moving your body is one of the best ways to relieve stress naturally.
You don’t have to hit the gym to get yourself moving. It could be as easy as:
- Going for a walk around the block
- Dancing around the house as you tidy up
- Meeting up with friends at the local park
- Playing with your dog at the park (animals are great for stress relief)
- Trying something new, like belly dancing
- Do a Personal Training or Boxing session with me at the park
Incorporate stress management techniques
Anything that makes you feel good can be considered a stress management technique. The trick is to find strategies that you enjoy doing regularly ……… drinking wine doesn’t count……whilst it makes you feel better at the time, it usually means you have a poor sleep and may wake-up with a hangover and then you feel worse.
Some of my favourite ways to relieve stress include:
- Being outside in nature. Sometimes this is the beach, the Blue mountains or if I can’t get out for too long, Sydney has some beautiful garden cafes that give you the feeling of being away from the stresses of life. Eden Gardens at Macquarie Park is my favourite. https://edengardens.com.au/default/news-blogs/
- Spending time with animals. Those who know me well, know I absolutely adore dogs.
- I find that if I’m particularly overwhelmed that journaling, even if only for 10 minutes helps to calm my nerves, anxiety and get rid of overwhelm.
Ask for help
No one can do everything all of the time. Many of us can take on too much, and then think it’s our responsibility to bear it. But you are not alone, and you don’t need to do it alone.
If you are really struggling with any area of your life, reach out for help in that area. This might be counselling, seeing a health practitioner, or even just hiring someone to clean your house once a month! If you are struggling with depression or anxiety and need help, reach out to a number of amazing organisations below.
Beyond Blue 1300 224636
LifeLine 13 11 44
BirchTree Centre of Excellence
If you are local to the Inner West, Wendy Gilroy from Mind Momentum is a counsellor.
There are dozens of tools that can support you during periods of stress, including nutrition and herbal medicines. We discuss these in my naturopathic consultations in the health clinic at Marrickville. I have a huge box of tools and strategies to share with you about managing stress. It’s one of my favourite topics to help you with. Book a consultation now.
What does stress feel like to you, this is an article I wrote a while back.
Feel free to reach out if you have questions about the things I written here. Email.
Dee
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