Your chest feels tight. You can’t remember the last time you took a full, deep breath. Your mind is racing in overdrive. You can’t find reprieve. Is this you? Girl, same. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. In fact, I used to get to that place just about once a day until I started to intentionally pay attention to my stress. And once I did, I found a few stress management tactics that have actually made a difference. Want to find out how to relieve stress? I gotchu covered. Let’s do this.
Stress management: Things I actually do
When it comes to stress management, it seems there is no shortage of opinions. And I know, I know, I’m adding my voice to the mix. But if you’ve hung around here long enough–you know my 2017 was literally one giant stress fest. So you can trust me. I’ve done my research. I’ve tried what feels like everything. And I’ve finally landed on a few solid methods that have actually made an improvement on my overall stress level.
Get moving.
What started as a stress reduction tactic turned into a stress management habit. I started running back in 2014 as a challenge. I just wanted to see if I could do it. Well, I found out I could and I quickly became obsessed. I felt better than I ever had. But then we moved to Charlotte, I took a busy out-of-the-house job, and I upped my side hustle. Running went out the window.
So when the tight chest because an everyday occurrence last summer, I picked up running again, but I kept injuring my foot. That’s when I started yoga. I’d go whenever I was feeling particularly stressed. But like with the running, I got borderline obsessed. Not just with the activity itself, but with how I felt.
I am not so great at the whole breathing thing (more to come on that in a later section). So combining the forced, controlled breathing with the pinky planky music, the dark room, and the wringing out movements was like a stress-reduction cocktail blended to perfection for me.
You don’t have to go for a run or do yoga. That’s just what I can recommend. The point here is to just get your body moving. Go for a walk. Take up fencing. It doesn’t really matter what you do, just move. Heck, you can even take a page out of Christina & Meredith’s book and dance it out!
Talk it out.
Maybe with a friend, maybe with a therapist, it just sort of depends on what you need. I’ve done both. I’d highly recommend getting at least one really good friend who is always down for a good vent sesh.
My bestie and I do this thing where we just say “can I freak out on you for a minute?” and then we word vomit all over the other. The good thing is, we’ve been friends for such a long time that often we’re able to offer the other some sound advice. But advice is not the point here. Talking it out is.
Sometimes just voicing things, releasing the thoughts out into the space around you gives you a sense of peace and clarity. But if that doesn’t work…
Journal it out.
Yup, you knew I was going to recommend this. I swear some of you picture me as this geeky girl with a notebook always stuck under her arm. And truth is, that wouldn’t be all that wrong. Yes, I believe in the power of journaling. Really journaling.
In fact, I’d been carrying around residual stress from some negative emotions I had surrounding something that happened ages ago. I’d talked it to death, both with my trusted circle and my therapist. But it still hung around. So, I did what I do best. I grabbed my journal and put pen to paper, purging every thought, emotion, and idea that came to the surface.
Journaling is where I do my best stress management work if I’m honest. It’s where I feel the safest and where I can be the most authentic. That may not be the case for you–but it might be worth giving a try.
Diffuse essential oils.
I didn’t believe in the hokey pokey magic of essential oils for a long time. In fact, I just kind of rolled my eyes and checked out anytime someone talked about them. But then my husband left for a 4 day solo hiking trip in the middle of a hurricane. You can bet I was employing every anxiety and stress relieving trick under the sun that weekend. (I’m happy to report he returned in one piece, and I survived the weekend–but I swear the oils were a big part of that.)
I’ve never tried any of the good stuff. But I bought a relax blend from Target that weekend, and now it’s what I use to calm myself before sleep every night. I’ll be sure to get an oil expert in here to share some actual insights into why and how they work. Hold please.
Remain present.
I’m a creative. I literally story tell for a living. And sometimes that little talent gets a little unruly and partners up with my stress to spin fantastic, doom-based stories that get my heart rate going. I noticed when I started to intentionally pay attention to my stress that a lot of it was…uhm…how do I say this? Not really existent? Basically, I’d stress myself out over things that hadn’t happened yet. I’d get myself worked up over all the what-ifs that come with any given situation. And y’all, it was getting really exhausting.
I don’t remember exactly where I first heard this little piece of advice. Truth is, I’ve probably been hearing it for years. But something clicked recently, and I started to listen. Staying present has literally been the game-changer for my stress level. Whenever I start to feel myself getting to that future based panicky place, I kindly remind myself to check into the moment.
- Am I okay right now?
- Am I currently, in this exact moment, facing any issues?
- Do I have everything I need?
- Is everyone I care about safe?
You catch my drift. It’s supremely easy for us to live in this future place. Future Joey is apparently STRESSED AF. But present Joey is doing alright. We’ve all heard the saying “we’ll worry when there’s something to worry about.” I just started putting that into practice. And like I said. GAME. CHANGER.
How to relieve stress: Things I’m working on 😉
- Avoiding Caffeine. (What? I know, blasphemy!)
- Eating well-balanced meals
- Meditating
- Practice controlled breathing
These things aren’t habits yet, but I’ve been working on them over time. For that reason, I can’t really vouch for their effectiveness. I’ll be honest, I don’t see a huge impact on my stress from my caffeine intake. I usually only have one cup (maaaaayyyyybe two) a day. But the habits I have developed have my stress management in such a good place I don’t feel the need to nix the caffeine. The rest? Well, I can say they all make me feel good in the moment. But I can say what their long-term effects really are because well, I haven’t experienced them yet. How’s that for journalistic integrity. (I joke, I’m definitely not a journalist.)
Okay, there you have it. My stress management routine. I am by no means a medical professional (though I did just recently undergo my formal life coach training: woop woop!), but these methods have really worked for me.
Tell me, what are some of the ways you manage your stress?
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