What is stress?
Your heart’s racing and your thoughts resemble a speedy, out of sync and frankly quite rubbish montage. You’ve got heaps of important things to do but start with the non-essential job of clearing out your underwear drawer. You find no joy in this usually cleansing and secretly thrilling act.
Annoyed at yourself for agreeing to cat sit for a friend that you barely even speak to, you decide to cancel the date night you’d been looking forward to because you’re so drained, or should you? Making decisions has become impossible.
You, My Dear, Are Stressed
Not only is it engulfing but it’s oh so stealthy. One minute you’re floating around managing your obligations in a perfectly rational and zen way, then before you know it you’re refreshing Instagram every two seconds, drumming your fingers manically, screaming at the cat and sobbing big fat tears all over your to-do list.
That’s the thing with stress. It casts an enormous jittery shadow over everything, the work stuff, the family stuff, even the fun stuff. Effective prioritising, making decisions, setting boundaries and enjoying life all goes out the window.
Even more troubling is that being frazzled, overly busy and anxious is often seen as a measure of success so we feel bad if we’re too chilled out – thinking maybe we’re not successful enough or good at our jobs.
We’re all for entrepreneurship and killer drive but sometimes you’ve got to swap the hustle for a hot bath so that you can take stock, savour the good stuff and perform at your sassy best.
In honour of Stress Awareness Month, we’ve put together our top tips on managing stress so that you can identify it, deal with it and get more loving out of life.
Slow Down
Zipping to meetings, wolfing down lunches, saying yes to every invitation, tip tapping on your laptop into the night all sounds super productive but it’s also a one-way ticket to stress.
Juggling too many tasks means you’re probably running on scary amounts of adrenaline while not performing at your best. You’re too busy to think about how you feel, you might be getting a bit stressed already. Perhaps your shoulders are tight or you can’t concentrate.
Stop! Prioritise what’s important and what you love and then devote time to it so that you’re fully present and fabulous. Walk slower, eat slower, drive slower. If you’re rushing all the time then you’ll speed past all the magic little moments in life.
The blissful feeling of the sun on your face, the hilarious conversation taking place over the fence, that song on the radio that reminds you of being 18 again.
Practice Self-Care
If relaxing and taking time for yourself is something that you squeeze in when you can then you’re doing it all wrong.
Carve out regular time for yourself to meditate, listen to an audio book while walking in the park, practice some gentle yoga with a luxurious Yoga Rug Mat and a Deeply Relaxing Scented Candle or have an early night with a good book and a Lavender Eye Mask for a deep and restorative sleep.
Taking this time out is vital so that you can check in with your body and mind to see how you’re really feeling.
Be kind to yourself and unclench that jaw.
Know The Signs
For us it’s racing thoughts and accidently smashing things, for you it might be irritability and a feeling of dread. Try to identify what the early signs of stress feel like so you can take action to prevent it from spiralling.
If we’re feeling stressed then we’ve probably taken on too much or are putting too much pressure on ourselves, so we’ll say no a bit more, book into a yoga class, have a hot bath and plan some nights in under a fur blanket with a glass of wine and a crime drama. Find out what works for you and make it a priority.
Too blessed to be stressed xxxx
