Stress less yes!
Written By Nikki Scott
It’s stress awareness week! And to celebrate this I’d thought I’d share a little of my journey with my anti hero - stress.
Stress is really annoying, like reeeally annoying, and for some of us its more than annoying. It's actually making us ill. So, how do we stop it, cancel it, tell it to F off?
Well I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but stress isn’t going anywhere, we can’t eradicate it, stamp it out or hide it under the bed and you might be surprised to hear that neither should we, (ok stay with me).
Moderate stress has been proven to be good for us! That flight or fight feeling of nervous energy (before a big meeting, sports game, first date) releases ‘a chemical called interleukins and gives the immune system a quick boost to protect against illnesses (1), pretty cool right?! Along with your body producing adrenaline and the infamous cortisol, your liver also generates more blood sugar to boost your body's energy. Again this is all good stuff, it’s like a coffee hit without the coffee!
What I'm trying to say here, is we need a little bit of stress, like the cherry on the cake. In small doses, stress makes us feel alive, focused and productive, important assets for modern 21st-century living amirite?
But unfortunately more often than not we’re dealing with more harmful and upsetting side effects of stress; shortness of breath, nausea, headaches, disrupted sleep, digestion problems, acne, binge drinking / drug taking /eating, and my personal favourite excessive online shopping!
I have at some point suffered from one or more of these colourful side effects of stress. In my late 20’s I had almost convinced myself multiple weekly online shopping deliveries and weekend ragers were all normal parts of being an adult.
Turns out they’re not, and after another night of misbehaving and a compassionate intervention from a close friend, I had to begin to reflect on my excessive stress-induced life choices.
After nearly a decade of searching for answers at the bottom of all the self-help books, yoga retreats, working abroad, quitting jobs, therapy, dumping partners, I could go on...
I have finally curated a self-care routine that is able to support me through life’s long and winding road of stressful episodes, whether that's pre-interview nerves, moving house or losing a job.
Self-care to me is an opportunity to build a supportive structure into your daily life. It’s amazing how quickly you can fill your day up with ‘have to’s & should dos’, leaving little or no time for reflection, stillness and joy. Creating a self-care plan will look different for everybody, and because of that, I’m not going to tell you how to do it, (although I have included a list of suggestions and links to resources I have found useful). But what I will say is self-care has 100% changed my life for the better. Although it does require a sustained amount of commitment, it is through these small acts of dedicated change that your empowered autonomy blossoms and stress management becomes achievable and part of a positive routine.
Side note - Please don’t feel disheartened if you fall of the self care wagon, this might be a sign your committing to too much or you need to redesign your ritual, be kind to your self, remember this is supposed to improve your life, not to be another thing to add to the ‘to do list’.
Self Care ideas
Dear diary - journalling was a game-changer for me, also a great excuse to buy new stationery. I particularly love Bando.com diaries for their stickers and feel good notes.
Meditation & Mindfulness - the Headspace and Waking up with Sam Harris Apps, are great for beginners and offer free trials.
Into the wild - get outside, whatever that looks like to you, but get off the concrete and into the nature.
Get active - even if this is just a walk around the block or office, move your body every day.
An attitude of gratitude - make a note every day of at least one thing you're grateful for, you’ll be amazed how this simple action can boost your mood.
Bring the Joy - try to notice something every day that brings you joy, birds singing, low autumn sun, that smell from Subway?
Greenfingers - whether they’re inside or out, keeping these little darlings alive not only takes patience but also consistent care and awareness, very important skills I’d say.
You got mail - banishment was once a punishment worse than death, and without wanting to sound dramatic, feeling stressed can be really isolating, so reaching out to others either via SMS, letter or carrier pigeon can be a real soothing activity.
Oh Yes H2O - drink more water, also if you get that reference snaps!
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walking
https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-gratitude/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22309627-how-to-love
Let’s get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
You got this
Nikki
References
https://news.berkeley.edu/2013/04/16/researchers-find-out-why-some-stress-is-good-for-you/