Tips To Help Manage Stress

Stress. We need enough of it to keep getting out of bed every morning, and not too much that we get sick.

Physiologically, the stress response is the fight or flight system which involves increased heart rate and breathing rate, a burst of adrenalin and energy, and stress hormones like cortisol start pumping through your bloodstream, preparing your body to face a threat.

If the threat is, “A car is about to hit me I better get out of the way,” then this is helpful.

On the other hand, if thoughts like, “Why hasn’t my friend called?” are on repeat in our heads, and we are getting agitated, then this can be extremely damaging.

When cortisol is elevated for too long or too frequently it disturbs the systems of the body with very damaging results.

If you are experiencing unhelpful or unhealthy prolonged stress then you need to take charge of this and there is no better time to start than now.

So how can we take charge of Stress? Here are 5 strategies you can start applying today.

1. MOVE.

One of the best ways to counter stress is to move, as it will metabolise the cortisol in your system and remove it.

Get up and move around or go for a walk - any kind of muscle activity will metabolise the cortisol.

Move your body in any way we can. This could just be to get up if sitting or sit if standing or walk to the bathroom or stretch. The more movement the better.

2. BREATHE.

When you take long, deep breaths, oxygen quietens down the effects of cortisol.

There are lots of breathing techniques can you try - Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 breathing is a wonderful technique to try.

3. WRITE it down.

A simple and effective way to calm down and organise our thinking is to write things down.

It can help keep track of things on your mind and let go of thoughts and emotions too.

4. Speak KINDLY to yourself

We are all having an internal dialogue with ourselves all the time, and when you begin to start noticing how you speak to yourself, you can start to consider if your internal dialogue is supporting or sabotaging you. Is your self-talk reducing your stress, or adding to it? Would you speak to your best friend like that?

Consider these tips and find something that works for you to manage your stress, then practice it regularly.

'Our greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.' -William James

Jo Devin, Co-founder Positive Living Skills www.positivelivingskills.com.au