Stress. What do you do about it?
/April is National Stress Awareness month. As we mark one year since life, as we knew it, came to a pause, there is no better time to reflect on the stress we’ve endured personally and collectively and find some new ways to manage stress. For many, the stress before the pandemic was exhausting enough. The added pandemic stress, relationship stress, financial stress, increased isolation, work stress, national upheaval…and overall traumatic stress of living through a pandemic may have felt, at times, unmanageable and unbearable. In times of stress, you may notice that you act on urges and impulses that take you away from who you are and the present moment. Here are some stress reduction tips and tricks our therapists use to help their clients manage stress more effectively.
Stay attentive to the body’s experience. This is where stress exists. This might include doing a body scan visualization while breathing into areas of tension or tightness. Pause and take a moment to just notice where you are in time and space.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercises are a great way to destress. Click HERE for the script.
Get outside for at least 15 minutes each day. Get out into nature (take a walk, hike, sit outside, do some gardening).
Daily “Brain Dump” Journal for 15 minutes.
Art Journaling – spend 10-15 minutes drawing. Pay attention to what comes up and allow it to guide you.
Stress Scribbling – Think about the stressor(s) and notice how your body feels. Draw a scribble that represents the stress and then continue scribbling for 15-30 seconds. Notice how you feel after scribbling. This can be repeated until you notice a change to the feeling.
Go back to the basics! This may include eating food that makes you feel good, drinking water, getting enough sleep, moving your body in a way that feels positive (stretching, walking, etc.), taking care of illness.
Aroma Therapy- this may include essential oils or candles that are relaxing like lavender.
Review boundaries and set them as needed
Set a timer to remind you to take breaths each hour.
It may take some experimenting to find what works best for you. Studies suggest that focusing on stress reduction strategies for 5-20 minutes daily or in small increments of time reduces overall stress and feelings of overwhelm with time.
