Motherhood. Relationships. Bills. Health. Careers. Crazy Bosses. Deadlines. Where am I going with this? Well, we’ve all been there and can relate to the amount of stress that we allow people and situations to cause. Some of us are drowning in our own sea of stress and it has become unbearable. Well, there is hope.
At times we have a tendency to bring stress upon ourselves (procrastination, unrealistic expectations, trying to keep up with the Jones) and other times, unexplainable circumstances happen (sickness, loss of a job or loved one) and it causes things to be thrown off kilter. “International Self-Care” day was celebrated on July 24th and in an effort to bring your life back into balance, here are a few tips to help you handle stress:
- Pray and meditate
- Stop what you’re doing and take a walk
- Divide and conquer
- Prioritize your tasks and do them one at a time
- Get a massage and pamper yourself
- Take a break, breathe and stretch
- Listen to your favorite music
- Join a yoga class
- Write down 3 things you’re thankful for and focus on them
- Learn to be imperfect
- Accept and embrace change
- De-clutter your mind and the space around you
- Surround yourself with positive people
- Laugh out loud
- Stop worrying, 90% of everything you worry about will never happen
If allowed, stress can overtake you and make you lose focus on the end goal. As Charles R. Swindoll quoted, “Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life.” It’s not always easy, but I challenge you to respond differently when you’re in that moment where stress tries to hijack your life.
Remember whatever you’re going through that’s causing stress, it shall pass. It may not seem like it now, but trust me it will.
How do you handle stress?