If you are anything like me and frankly the rest of the world, for the last year has had us all worrying a bit more.
Tensions are high. Anxiety is high. The day-to-day strains of navigating through the last 16 months or so have worn out its stay.
We are in luck! We have a whole month dedicated to being aware of our stress. No, I am not even joking. The good news is that we can do something about it and practice using different resources to help manage that stress.
“Happy” Stress Awareness Month!
When I think of April I think of birds chirping, budding flowers, greener grass, fewer layers of clothing when I go outside, and longer days. Believe it or not, April is Stress Awareness Month. Over half of Americans feel stress every day, (2021). Is that really all? That stress ranges from I can’t find my keys to other more debilitating forms of stress but the fact remains that stress is a permanent part of our lives. Physiological responses occur because of stress; fight, freeze, or flight, the act of childbirth, even sub coming to a virus is a response to a stressor.
One in five Americans (20%) report they never engage in an activity to help relieve or manage their stress, (2021). This can severely affect how productive we are, how happy we are, how we manage our lives, and how we carve out room for important things like, JOY.
This is why we need to talk about how to manage stress, how to work through it, and how to pivot from experiencing its sometimes debilitating effects.
Practice Makes Progress
I have no doubt that you have tried some if not all of the techniques that I share below. Maybe it’s time to revisit them, dive into a few a little deeper or dedicate yourself to one for the entire month and see what a difference it makes in your stress management. Remember practice makes progress. I have a really good feeling (and scientific proof) that if you get a handle on your stressors, that will spill over into other aspects of your life, like making more room for joy. Which of course – I am all about.
Here are my top 20 Go To Stress Relievers.
Let me know which ones are your favorite.
- Take a walk
- Enjoy a hot shower or bath
- Meditate for 5-10 minutes – just enough to settle the emotions
- Go to bed early
- Create boundaries (Say “No”)
- Mind dump in a journal
- Take a break from electronics, social media, emails, etc.
- Cuddle with your favorite pet
- Talk to a trusted friend or family member
- Work out or initiate movement of some kind
- Color – be creative
- Allow yourself to feel and express your feelings
- Stretch your body
- Drink plenty of water
- Nourish your body
- Plan a reward (for me it’s a date or a getaway weekend)
- Do something nice for someone else (Act of Kindness)
- Intentionally Seek Gratitude in the situation
- Listen to or read something inspiring
- Get up, dress up, show up
We can’t ever eliminate stress as it does have value in our lives, but we can master the ways that we manage it. When we know that we have the ability to relieve stress instead of run from it, we are already halfway through whatever stressful situation is occurring. We are then better equipped to tackle whatever comes our way. Engage in these stress relievers and as a result, you will be able to make more room for joy.
I would love to hear what are your favorite ways to relieve stress. You can email me HERE with your Go-To Stress Relievers are.
For more ideas about stress relievers, visit and follow my Pinterest Board HERE.
Resources:
55 Troubling Workplace Stress Statistics for 2021: Shortlister. (2021, March 04). Retrieved from https://insights.myshortlister.com/workplace-stress-statistics
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