It's no secret that stress can be damaging to your life. It affects your mind, body and spirit. This means that all areas of your life are impacted. I've always looked at stress as it's either positive or negative. Not all life events are negative. Marriages, births, job changes. All of these are interpreted as good seasons of our lives, Each one of these stages carries a certain level of positive stress with it. They're fun times! They can also be very stressful. Death of a family member or friend, job loss or divorce can bring negative stress. Your loved ones and friends may also become part of the collateral damage during these stages of stress-positive or negative.
Newsflash! You're not alone!
That's right! Realize there are resources to help you through those stressful times-positive or negative.
Tip #1: Know Your Resources
My very first tip relates to you knowing your resources. These resources can be found in your network like a Church or other community-based resource. What about your employer? Does your employer offer employee assistance? Sometimes, it's as easy as checking with your Human Resources representative or checking your company web-site. Don't be afraid to ask your people leader for help locating employer-based resources. Don't forget about your network of friends.
Tip #2: BREATHE
Yep! You saw it here! BREATHE! My friend, you need to take a nice, long, slow breath. Stress levels impact our ability to breathe properly. For me, I had to learn how to manage my breath in order to deal with high-levels of stress and pain during a challenging time of my life. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose and then blow out through your mouth. Place your hands on your chest and focus on the expansion and release of the air through your lungs. Do this for about 3 breath sequences. No more. During this time, ONLY think about your breath. No bills. Not where does it hurt. Not about kids or relationships. Nope. Not even work. Did I mention to just breathe?
Tip #3: Active Time For You
This means to be intentional with engaging in moments of time that are active for you. This can be prayer time, exercise, journaling, reading a good book, coloring, swinging, dancing. Something that actively engages your mind or your body. Why? You need to allow your mind to rest from going back and forth with your problem.
These are just some quick tips for how I manage my stress-level when the load gets to be too much. I hope these suggestions help you to better manage your stress!
Chat with you soon!
Dr. B
