Life is hectic and when life is hectic, we feel that inside. Stress, anxiety, and depression are all very real reactions to a hectic life. No one likes to feel stirred up on the inside, and no one likes to be out of sorts. And the pace of life can be such that we never feel we can catch up. You likely have a busy career, a busy home life and you might struggle to have balance with it all. Reducing the symptoms of anxiety and stress isn’t easy, because you need to address the why behind them. But there are things you can do to feel calmer.
You need to do what you can t reduce what is causing you to feel anxious and stressed. A lifestyle medicine assessment with a holistic health practitioner can help you to understand exactly what may be happening on a physiological level and then walk you through steps to help your anxiety symptoms and identify what you might do to address the underlying causes of those symptoms. Having a look at your whole lifestyle and addressing it with the help of a holistic health professional can go a long way.
If your job or career is so busy that you’re feeling anxiety and tension every time you head to the office, you simply can’t keep pushing through without employing some helpful new habits. If you are spending your time feeling sick, sad and wired, then you need to dial it back and find ways to greater balance and self-care. Addressing the anxiety right now can help you to think more clearly about your next steps.
Here are 4 things you can do to feel calmer when you’re stressed.
1. Go for a walk. May sound simplistic but there are potent reasons this is a very good option. When you feel stressed in a situation, removing yourself from the situation and hitting the path or pavement helps your brain and body to immediately shift gears. Getting your heart and lungs pumping can help produce feel-good chemicals in your brain. The bilateral stimulation of the brain that occurs when we have left-right-left-right motion such as when swinging our arms while walking has been proven by science to soothe your mind and body.
2. Have a pep talk with yourself. The things we say to ourselves has an enormous impact on the way we feel. There are plenty of positive coping statements and affirmations that you can say to yourself. You can write them onto sticky notes and put them up on your mirror, in your car and on your computer screen. Thoughts happen so pay close attention to what you are thinking and choose carefully because what you think contributes to the reality you experience.
3. Get good sleep. It’s a big deal. Sleep deprivation is serious business. If you’re stressed out, lack of sleep is only going to make it worse. You need to consider developing a sleep routine. Research shows quality of sleep improves when the temperature in your room is slightly cooler than you have it during the day. Be sure to turn off all the electronics an hour before you hit the hay and you may consider talking with your health practitioner about a natural sleep aid if you are sleep deprived.
4. Close your eyes and breathe. Other than when you’ are driving, you can try this just about anywhere and find this is one of the best things you can do to feel calmer. Try this trick now and see how it feels. Close your eyes and feel the floor and seat beneath your body. Breathe in through your nose deeply until your lungs are full and then very slowly exhale through your mouth as if blowing through a drinking straw. Make the exhale at least twice as long as your inhale. Repeat two more times. Taking a breathing break when you notice yourself feeling stressed can do a world of good for your mind and body.
Stress doesn’t have to rule your life. You can create calm for yourself with regular practices that you can bring into your every day life. There are many more things you can do to feel calmer such as observing a regular meditation practice or attending a gentle, restorative yoga class. You can listen to a guided relaxation or visit a spa. Watching fish swim in an aquarium can help you feel calmer. Do what you can to help yourself as a matter of regular self care and you’ll find that calm is something you can have whenever you need it.
Need help creating a plan for calm?
Contact me at Wonders Wellness Institute and let’s discuss holistic life coaching that includes meditation instruction and many other ways to create a plan for your self. care.