6 Healthy Ways to Deal With Stress {any time of the year}
Stress. If you’re like me, stress is an unavoidable, daily companion. In certain seasons of our lives, stress can become overwhelming. And most of us have come up with ways of “coping” with stress; ways to escape the awful feelings that come with it.
Do any of these sound familiar?
“Therapy” shopping
Drinking or other substance use
Binge-watching a show
“Stress eating”
What do each of these activities have in common?
Many common “coping” strategies are simply ways to escape and consume.
By escaping into one of these activities, we are temporarily numbing ourselves to the stressor.
But numbing is not healing.
Healing and returning to a healthy emotional balance requires restoration. And to understand how to get there, we need to understand the Stress Response Cycle.
Stress does not just affect our minds, but our bodies as well. When we are met with a stressor, our bodies react as if we are running away from a lion--the “fight-or-flight” response. And in order to come back into balance and wellness, we have to complete the Stress Response Cycle and restore our minds and bodies to a relaxed state.
Restoration requires TRUE self-care.
Healthy, authentic self-care is not numbing or escaping. Sometimes that may be all we feel we have the time or energy for, but, we need to challenge that mindset and adopt some more proactive ways to complete the stress response cycle, even if we can’t control or fix the stressor.
Here are 6 Healthy Ways to Deal With Stress
Physical activity - There is plenty of research to show that physical activity is the quickest way to complete the stress response cycle, and the effects last even after you finish the activity. This can be a short walk, or an intense workout; whatever fits your available time and energy.
Deep breathing - Deep breathing is one of the quickest ways to slow down your heart rate, helping your body return to a resting state. And as your body calms, your mind will follow. While you’re practicing deep breathing, you may also want to anchor yourself in the moment with some grounding thoughts (focusing on tangible things in your surroundings) or meditation (prayer or positive thoughts) to help bring your mind back into focus and gain some perspective.
Community - Many of us (especially now) may be or feel isolated. Reaching out to your trusted friends or family, and spending time with them however you can, will give your mind and body the chance to come back to a resting state.
Crying - Many of us have been trained to think crying is NOT a healthy or acceptable response to stress. But we need to realize that emotions are tunnels: there is a light at the end, and we have the opportunity (and the power) to walk through them! Crying is one way to do that--and it provides an instant release of energy from our bodies. Releasing all that emotion and negative energy gives your body a chance to restore itself. There IS power in a good cry!
Affection - In particular, physical affection is very helpful in quickly completing the stress response cycle. A lingering kiss, long hugs or cuddle with someone you feel safe with will help calm you by releasing lots of good hormones that physiologically change the way your brain processes information and decisions.
Creative Expression - All of us have some kind of creativity inside ourselves, and many of us abandon that creativity, whether because we think we have no time, or because it’s not a priority. But using creative expression to relieve stress can be a game-changer! Break out that pen, those paints or that crochet hook, and notice how you begin to relax.
Whenever stress next rears its ugly head, I challenge you to try one of these proactive strategies to move past numbing and escaping, and forward to restoration and healing!
