Stress is a normal part of life, but it doesn’t have to be debilitating. Healthy stress coping strategies will help you manage stress on a day-to-day basis without letting it take over your life.
With so many changes going on in the world right now, it’s normal to feel heightened levels of stress. We are all coping with the aftermath of a global pandemic, and the emotional toll can make us more prone to stress.
So if you’re wondering why simple tasks like going to work, attending a social outing, or keeping up with household chores feel more difficult, remember that many of us are still in an adjustment period.
Go easy on yourself and give yourself time to rest and reset. When you give your emotions a safe space to exist without judgment or shame, it can help you better deal with your everyday stressors and improve your mental health in the long run.
Where is Your Stress Coming From?
Stress comes in many shapes and forms. So before coming up with a plan to reduce your stress, it’s important to take a look at where your stress is coming from. This will allow you to create healthy stress coping strategies that can prevent stress from happening in the first place.
Practicing healthy stress coping strategies in the moment can alleviate your stress temporarily, but addressing the underlying issues causing your stress will help you live a more peaceful life. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help determine where your stress is coming from:
- When and where do you feel the most stressed? Is it at work, at home, or all the time? If you aren’t sure, try keeping a journal and start recording when and where you feel stressed and what you believe is causing your stress. This can help to bring awareness to what is the root cause of your stress.
- Are you more stressed during certain times of the day? This could indicate that you need to practice more self care during certain times of the day or certain situations. For example, maybe you stress out before you go to bed because you’re worrying about the next day. It could be helpful to shut off your phone 30 minutes before you go to bed or practice a meditation before bed.
- Are there certain tasks that trigger your stress? Perhaps it’s when you look at your work email or work calendar. It might be worth drawing more boundaries and deciding to take your work email off of your phone.
- Do you consider yourself an overall stressed person? In other words, you’re always stressed about something? It may be helpful to examine your role in your own stress. Perhaps you are a perfectionist or you hold yourself to unrealistically high standards. It’s important to acknowledge your thought patterns that may be contributing to your stress levels, so you can start to shift your mindset.
- Is there anything in your life that you are trying to avoid feeling or dealing with right now? Sometimes we avoid bringing awareness to what’s causing us stress because we don’t want to face uncomfortable truths. For example, maybe you are stressed out by your home life, and you feel guilty for being stressed out by your kids or partner. Ignoring your stress will not help you solve it. It’s only by looking at what’s truly causing you stress that you can start to address it.
Healthy Stress Coping Strategies
Here are some healthy stress coping strategies you can do right now and in the long-run to reduce your overall levels of stress. By practicing these strategies, you’ll find that you can event prevent stress from happening in the first place. It’s helpful to incorporate both a short-term and long-term plan for your stress reduction.
Healthy Stress Coping Strategies to Practice Today:
Take Care of Your Body
Our mental well-being and our physical well-being are closely tied. We hold stress inside of our bodies, and one of the best ways to release it is to get your body moving. This can mean going on a walk or just doing some light stretching to get your blood pumping.
Choosing healthy, nourishing foods over foods high in sugar or drinks chock-full of caffeine can also help you maintain a lower stress level.
Lastly, make sure you set aside enough time to get a good night’s rest. When we don’t get enough sleep, the physical effects of stress can be much more impactful.
Take 10 Minutes to Meditate
Deep breathing and mindfulness can almost instantly bring you a sense of calm. When we’re stressed, our flight-or-fight response automatically kicks into gear. Our heartbeat increases and our breath quickens, which can make us even more stressed.
In order to break the cycle and bring ourselves back to equilibrium, we need to signal to our bodies that there’s no immediate threat. Slowing down your breath and paying attention to your feelings and senses can pull you into the present and remind you that you are safe.
Find Time for Joy
Many times, we are so preoccupied with “getting things done” that we forget to make time for joy in our lives. But going through the motions without finding time for the things you love can quickly lead to burnout.
If you think you don’t have time for the things you love, remember that self-care can be big or small. It can be anything from running a bath, going for a quick jog, or picking up your favorite takeout for dinner. We all know that happier people are more productive, so remember that when you take care of yourself, you are – indirectly – taking care of your to-do list as well.
Express Your Feelings
Sometimes, stress can feel overwhelming because you feel like you’re dealing with it on your own. In these moments, remember that it’s okay to ask for help and connect with others. Talking about your feelings can help you release them and feel lighter.
Healthy Stress Coping Strategies to Practice Every Day:
Draw Boundaries
It sounds simple, but we can avoid stress in our life by avoiding stressful people and situations. You can say no to people- no to taking on an extra project at work, no to a party you don’t want to attend, or no to cooking a dinner from scratch when you’re tired. It’s okay to protect your own energy by saying no and drawing boundaries.
Know your own limits and start taking those limits seriously. Creating a habit out of maintaining better boundaries will help you avoid unnecessary stress and improve your overall mental wellbeing.
Keep Things in Perspective
It’s important to keep tasks and responsibilities in perspective. In the long run, does bringing store-bought cookies to a bake sale really matter? It can be easy to get caught up in the details or want everything to be done perfectly. But the truth is, we have limited time and energy, and we need to be mindful of how we spend it.
We can’t agonize over the small things – or else we’ll drive ourselves insane! Prioritization is the name of the game, and it will save you mounds of extra stress in the long run. Writing down a physical list of things you want to accomplish in a day or a week and then numbering that list can help you get a clearer picture of what really must be done and what are nice-to-haves.
Shift Your Mindset
We can’t always avoid what’s causing us stress. Perhaps you have a stressful job or a hectic family schedule. Since we can’t change those stressors in our life, we can change the way we respond to them. Shifting our mindset to be kinder and more accepting of ourselves and the situation can make a bigger difference than you realize. You might even come to the realization that a lot of your stress is self-manifested.
When you can’t avoid a stressful situation altogether, it can help to:
- Practice gratitude to combat negative energy
- Not beat yourself up for making mistakes
- Change your own standards or expectations and let go of perfectionism
- Keep your focus on things that are in your control
- Let go of negative experiences rather than ruminating on them
Help is Just a Call Away
Sometimes our stress levels feel overwhelming on our own. There is no shame in seeking help. Our experienced counselors can help you implement healthy stress coping strategies in the short and long term. It can be easier to create new habits and perspectives around stress reduction with the help of an unbiased third party.
With convenient locations in the Georgetown and Liberty Hill area, we would love to help you find more peace in life. Give us a call today.
In your corner,
Jenna
