When faced by a stressful situation what can we do? Ideas below are practical and can be used in emergencies or when you realize that you have been carrying a low level of stress for a while. We’ll explore several ways that are easy, practical and powerful to help you live a stress-free life.
First, what does the body do when it is stressed and how can I identify low-level stress? We need to be aware of how the body responds to stress, because if we can catch it before it ‘takes us over,’ it is much easier to ‘tame.’
PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNS OF STRESS
When we find ourselves in a stressful situation we often find that we:
- Begin to breathe more rapidly. Our body is getting the ‘fight and flight’ response ready so that we can run of the fight.
- Find our heart pumps faster to give us more blood for our fight or flight; we might get heart palpitations, chest pains or begin to feel flushed. Our heart is giving all it has to help us in our flight.
- Our blood pressure increases to pump more blood into our body so that we can run or fight. We might get a headache or pressure in our head.
- Feel tight, anxious, nervous and irritable. The hormone Cortisol begins to rush through our body getting us ready for flight or flight. This pushes all of to the organs and cells to ‘get ready.’
So are we going to suffer early aging and illness, which is what long-term stress can do to us? No! We can do something about it. Using tools and techniques, we can turn stress into transformation.
[Experts Guide: To Effectively Reduce Stress and Become the Best Version of Yourself.]
Below are some ideas to help in ‘transforming stress.’ Use them often, write them on a sticky note and keep them with you until they become a habit. They say it takes 28 days to make a new habit.
HOW TO CALM YOURSELF DOWN AFTER A STRESSFUL SITUATION
- Take deep three breaths and let them out slowly.
- Now squeeze your hands and feet and release the squeeze slowly.
- Put the corners of your lips up and do #1 again.
- Take a walk or exercise. Nature helps to cut stress as do animals and birds. So go ahead and hug your cat or dog they will love it and it can seriously cut stress.
- Take an Epsom salt or sea salt bath, put some lavender oil in and relax with deep breathing.
- Whistles, sing, or listen to your favorite soothing music…music can change your mood almost instantly.
- Call a friend chat about something fun or meet them for tea.
- Give thanks for ten things in your life.
- Question the thoughts that are in your head. Check out Byron Katie are ‘The Work.com.’ All stress other than immediate physical stress is associated with a thought that something or someone should be different. Ask is this true? And who would I be without this thought?
- Carry soothing lavender and dab it on your wrists, it is very soothing.
- Take a crystal like amethyst or one with gold in it. Become one with it and carry it with you or sit with it for half an hour or so. Crystals can be powerful catalysts in ‘stress reduction’ and ‘stress transformation.’
Stress can make our life feel so difficult, as if it’s so much of a struggle, but using these tools can make a significant change to your life if your use them regularly and correctly.
