Let’s talk about stress, ba-by. Let’s talk about you and me. (sing it with me). Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be…
OK, we’re not really going to talk about alllllll the good things and the bad things, but we are going to hit on some key points that I think are helpful to know when we’re trying to manage our stress in a healthy way.
Because to manage stress more effectively, it’s helpful to understand it and build some awareness around our own relationship to it.
Before we get to it - the audio version of this one has a lot more expansion on what I write below, so if you want to go deeper, check that out HERE.
Stress is normal and necessary for survival, but can become problematic when it is prolonged or extreme. We experience stress when something is out of balance and those stress signals are meant to move us into action to regain that balance.
We all relate to stressors differently. An event, a to-do list, or a decision that one person finds quite stressful might feel completely neutral to someone else. It’s important not to compare ourselves to others and to focus instead on getting to know our own stress tolerance.
The stress we experience is a combination of a mental, chemical, and physical response and it’s usually important/helpful to approach stress management in ways that address all three aspects.
Stress is cumulative - so multiple smaller stressors that build up in what I call your “stress bucket” can lead to a high level of stress. I recommend listing the things in your bucket and then seeing if you can address some of them to help reduce the total stress load.
Stress often shows up as behaviors -procrastinating, losing patience, losing focus. You can build some compassion for yourself and others by getting curious about what’s behind these behaviors.
We often mitigate the stress response with certain activities that may provide some relief in the short term, but cause more stress in the long run. These activities include, but are not limited to - eating, drinking alcohol, shopping, scrolling, gambling, etc. This is not to say that these activities are harmful, just that it’s important to note when we turn to them to relieve stress vs. provide entertainment or meet other needs.
Slowing down, while I fully acknowledge at times feels impossible, is often a key element of finding more clarity and making space to move forward in the most effective way.
There are so many things we can say about stress, but for now, let’s just build some awareness - what from the list above resonates for you? Where would you like to tune into your own stress response?
Maybe you list out what’s in your stress bucket.
Maybe you reflect on what behaviors show up for you in times of heightened stress.
Maybe you think about how stress presents itself in your physical body.
There’s no right or wrong next steps. As always, do what feels most supportive to you.
And if you want to make sure you’re around the next time we talk about stress, which we will surely do, because our relationship to stress has a significant impact on our work AND our wellbeing, hop on my email list and you’ll be the first to know!
You can join my email list HERE.
And don’t forget to check out the audio version of this post to hear my additional thoughts/commentary/personal stories. You can do that HERE.