Stress Management Tips, Part 1

7/27/2021

One of the most important things to remember about stress is knowing how you react to it. It is normal to have stressful things occur in life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a change in your mood, behavior, or body. Stress can be managed by regulating the emotion at the moment when triggered or proactively to keep negative emotions at bay.

We are all built differently and come from different backgrounds, so it is also important to note that we all manage stress differently. Because of this, I will dedicate multiple blog posts to talking about different stress management techniques. You get to decide what skills work best for you. It is easy to get caught up in life and start running on autopilot. This post will help by taking us back to the basics.

Mindful Check-in

My first tip is something that I would highly encourage everyone to do. I call this technique a mindful check-in. I share this skill with almost all my clients, teach it in workshops, and strive to do it every day myself because I think it is so valuable. 

A mindful check-in is taking 60 seconds out of your day to stop, do a quick body scan head to toe and observe how you are feeling and what you are thinking at that moment. The purpose of this is to teach your brain to be more mindful of your thoughts and emotions. By being more aware of what you are thinking and feeling, you will recognize when you feel stressed.  

Often we go throughout our day on autopilot and are constantly being overstimulated by work, texts, emails, social media, etc., that we become detached and unaware. In order to be successful at this skill, it needs to be done consistently. To get your brain in the habit, set a reminder on your phone or put a post-it note on your laptop or mirror.  

Being Proactive

What are you doing proactively to manage your stress? Being healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally helps build our stress tolerance. Things such as drinking water, moving your body, going to therapy, eating healthy foods all help to manage stress proactively. Although simple, these habits will boost your immune system, decrease cortisol, reduce blood pressure, and produce endorphins (the feel-good hormone). Think about your everyday habits. What do you do daily to support your overall health?  

Comments(0)

No comments yet.

Write a comment