Let Go of Stress

If you've been struggling to let go of stress and get your stress levels under control, welcome to the club. Stress is an inevitable part of modern life. Overflowing inboxes, complex relationships, financial pressures and workplace worries are abundant. Add to that the global issues of political strife and a world-wide pandemic, and it's understandable why so many people are finding it so hard to manage their stress levels.

While stress can be useful in small doses and certain situations, over a long period stress can wreak havoc and do damage. As the pressure mounts, you may feel like there's no end in sight. It is, however, possible to let go of stress, and even to make friends it. You can recognise the signs when they arrive, keep them in check, or even use stress to your advantage, and allow it remind you to aim for better balance in body and mind.

When it comes to stress, everyone's triggers and thresholds vary. Recognising what sets your stress off, and where your upper limit lies, can be crucial in managing it responsibly. 

Not only do we all differ in what causes us stress, our behaviours during periods of stress can be wide-ranging too: overeating or missed meals, becoming tired, wired or sick, acting irritably or withdrawing completely. It helps to notice your own signs and signals, and how you respond when demands get too high. Developing a deeper awareness of how you react can help you to identify early on that you're becoming stressed - and therefore, how to handle it best.

The Stress Response

Your body naturally responds to demands and danger by activating the stress (fight or flight response) response. Within an instant, this can signal that something is seriously wrong, and you should always pay attention to the warning signs your brain and body shares with you. However, you also need to judge the weight of your concerns realistically, because your brain can be quick to panic based on perceived, rather than real threats.

Also keep in mind that whether something stressful is actually happening or you're imagining it, your stress response reacts in the same way. Your brain and body is immediately flooded with hormones and chemicals preparing you to flight or flee. As you sit in safety imagining the worst-case scenario, you're signaling danger and can feel totally stressed out within seconds.

Tips to Let Go of Stress

1. Get Moving

Walk, ride, dance, swim... any kind of movement will help clear your head and make you feel calmer. 

Exercise has been proven scientifically as one of the easiest ways to release feelings of anger or anxiety by releasing endorphins through physical activity. These endorphins help you feel happier and more productive throughout your day! 

Additionally, exercise strengthens the immune system and improves cognitive functioning so it's an excellent method for reducing stress levels naturally. If you're working on changing how you currently handle stressful situations in life, try adding some form of physical activity into your daily routine. It will help release tension from the body while giving you plenty of time to examine what might be causing all that anxiety.

Whether it’s going on a walk, putting on music and dancing around, or playing with your dog, it can all be a helpful way to deal with stress. Exercising daily for 30 minutes or more can increase the activity of your brain, making it easier to process stressful events that happen. There’s no need for huge exercises like running miles or lifting heavy weights, unless that’s what you want to do. Simple things to get your brain and body moving can make you feel better.

2. Eat Fresh and Regular Meals

Steer away from comfort food, this is when you need to nourish. Do your best to avoid caffeine and other stimulants and avoid drinking alcohol when you're distressed.

3. Implement mindfulness.

A mindfulness course can really help. There's plenty of research to support how well mindfulness works with your wellbeing, giving you great tools and effective strategies to manage your challenges.

4. Try Meditation

Meditation is an easy way to reduce stress. It enhances self-awareness and can also lengthen your attention span. Meditation is very calming and one of the best ways to reduce stress. If you meditate for even just 10 minutes a day it can help you control your stress levels naturally.

Although the suggestion to “take a slow breath” may seem useless and cliche, it really works. Taking a few moments by yourself, closing your eyes, and taking slow breaths in a pattern can help you calm yourself down. 

5. Make Time for Self-care

Self-care is another effective way to not only reduce stress but also make you feel happier with yourself. Taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do. Making time for yourself is very important when it comes to mental health. 

Creating time to pick up new hobbies for yourself, going on dates with yourself, or taking a much-needed vacation alone can help you clear your thoughts. Do something to enjoy yourself. Cutting out stress triggers in your life can help improve all areas of your life, including work and relationships.  Put effort into putting yourself first. 

6. Prioritize Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can play a big part in your stress levels. When you’re stressed it can cause you to lose sleep. The cycle of not sleeping, being tired, and not being able to sleep will only make your stress levels worse. 

Getting 8 or more hours of sleep can improve brain function, which can help you better process and manage your stress. Before you sleep, be sure to dim your lights and turn off your television, phone, and/or laptop. Give yourself time to relax before you fall asleep. 

7. Connect with others

Sometimes you need to get out of your head and spend time outside of your environment. Taking time to connect to others is another healthy way to cope with stress. Spending quality time with your friends is an easy way to distract yourself from negative and stressful thoughts.  

You don't necessarily have to talk about how you’re feeling or what you’re going through. Sometimes you just need to have normal conversations with your friends as a simple distraction from your stress. Going shopping with friends, joining a club, even staying in with friends, and just hanging out will help lower your stress levels. 

8. Manage your time

Managing your time can also be a helpful factor in lowering your stress levels. Creating a schedule to manage your day helps keep your thoughts organized. Don’t forget to make time for fun and relaxation, too! 

Set aside times of the day where you can take breaks from your work or school. Do something every day to make your day enjoyable. Don’t overcommit yourself to tasks you don’t enjoy, and always try to break big projects into smaller steps. 

Creating a schedule that shows you what to do and when to do it will help you visualize your time better, therefore making it settle in your brain easier. Keeping your day organized will help your stress levels stay low. 

9. Ask for Help

Discuss your symptoms and stress levels with a healthcare provider so you can get the support you need and learn effective steps management skills. You can reach out to your doctor or therapist and talk about your stress levels and how you have tried to manage them. 

You can also reach out to a family member or friend, or anyone that you can confide in. Talking about how you feel and trying to find out why you’re stressed can help you discover how exactly you can lower your stress levels. 

Whether you’re ranting to a friend or a professional therapist, pay attention to how you describe your stress. Reaching out for support is never something to be embarrassed by. Sometimes you need the input of others to understand what’s going on in your head. 

We have all felt it, that feeling of being overwhelmed. The stress can be related to work, school, family life and more. You may go through a cycle of emotions such as anger, guilt or sadness. These emotions are not always healthy for you and your loved ones, so it is important to find coping mechanisms that work best for you! Leave a comment below letting me know what’s worked for you when it comes to healthy ways to cope with stress in your life.