Many of us go through the day without stopping for a second. Doing one thing and then moving on to another right away, thinking about the never-ending to-do list or worries that we have. Your job may involve sitting or standing for a long time, or your responsibilities could be so many that you spend most of your time feeling tense.
All this ends up having a big influence on a mental, emotional and physical level. If we don’t try to give ourselves a few moments to take care of ourselves, we may end up feeling exhausted at the end of the day, without the energy or strength to do anything else. And over time, we could get sick from so much accumulated stress. So how can you identify if you are suffering from stress? Our body is the best ally we have and it is who will notify us when it needs us to stop in the face of stress. Some ways in which our body can warn us are: feeling more tired than normal, headaches, stomach aches, dizziness, shortness of breath, pressure or discomfort in the chest. The emotional symptoms of stress can be a lack of pleasure in activities that we previously enjoyed, low mood, irritation and the desire to do nothing, low sexual desire, feeling afraid or having catastrophic thoughts, among others.
Although there is no magic solution, here are some strategies that you can use in your day-to-day to deal with stress:
Take a moment to look at yourself
Give yourself the opportunity to observe everything you do and how you feel in a day, recognize how you feel, because telling yourself that “I have nothing” or “nothing is wrong with me” does not provide a real solution. You may be worried about turning in that project on time, the performance review meeting with your boss, passing a test, problems at home, etc.
Identify what causes your stress
When you recognize the situations that trigger your stress, you will be able to manage them and learn from yourself and the situation. For example, noticing that you start eating sweets, and cookies or drinking more coffee before or after meetings, you procrastinate with some activities, tasks, or projects, you get easily distracted when you have a deadline, etc. Realizing what you do when you feel stressed will allow you to practice new behaviors that will lead to healthier habits.
Conscious breathing
Breathing allows us to connect with ourselves and with the present moment. Take 4 to 5 deep breaths consciously inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Be aware of the physical sensations this generates in you.
Connect with nature
If you have the opportunity to go for a 10 or 15-minute walk in a park, in the mountains, or take a walk on the beach, this could be very beneficial for your nervous system, since connecting with nature allows us to relax. If you don’t have a place of nature nearby, you can take a photo of a landscape that you like the most or close your eyes and imagine that you are in that place.
Use one or more of your five senses
Smell: you can place a few drops of essential oil on your wrist to relax or light incense or an aromatic candle.
Taste: you can consciously taste some food you like by feeling the textures.
Touch: you can give yourself a self-massage, stretch, breathe, and perform a mindfulness exercise by feeling the sensations of your body.
Sight: See images or videos that bring you peace. If you are near a window facing a park or if you can see some nature, this can help. Have a plant in your workplace if possible.
Hearing: listen to a playlist of music that you like and that relaxes you. This can be sounds of nature such as birdsongs, the sound of the sea, the rain, etc.
These are just some strategies that can help you deal better with stress. Your resources and these suggestions may be enough, but remember that reading an article is not the same as going to therapy. If you would like to learn more about how to deal with stress, you can book your first session with any of our Philia therapists. See you next time!
Leave A Comment