Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress
It's hard to manage stress. Especially when it is constant. Life can get overwhelming with how many things to do, people to see, jobs to handle, and kids to manage. Let’s imagine your mind is the bank account and emotions and self-care are the currency. When emotions are high or intense, they can drain the bank unless you are intentionally putting money back in through self-care.
That is why self-care is so important. So make sure you breathe, go outside and enjoy nature, and make time with friends to take care of your emotions and put more ‘money’ in your mental health bank account.
Here are some other helpful tips to help cope with stress:
1). Learn To Relax Your Muscles. When you’re stressed, your entire body will go into ‘fight or flight’ mode, leaving your muscles tense. So use this time to communicate to your body that you are not currently in immediate danger. First, lay down, take a big deep breath in and clench your entire body for 10 seconds. Contract your toes, your stomach, and your fists. And then after 10 seconds, slowly release your muscles to put them in a relaxed state. Repeat until you can feel your body relaxing.
2) Breathing. It seems so basic. You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it. Just breathing? But breathing exercises has been scientifically proven to lower heart rates, reduce stress and anxiety, and support better sleep at night. Doing it daily can a great tool to quiet your mind and your body and can be combined with meditation. There are many different breathing methods, but an easy one to remember is 4-7-8. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and breathe out for 8.
3) Prioritize Sleep. When you’re stressed during the day, you might find yourself having a hard time sleeping at night. You have a huge to-do list or something happened and now you can't seem to turn off your brain. But getting 7+ hours of sleep every night is vital to healing your body during times of stress. And of course, when you need sleep most - it seems to escape you. Building a pattern that your brain recognizes as ‘time for sleep’ mode can help you mentally turn off. Create for yourself a bedtime routine you can look forward to. Make a ‘brain dump’ or to-do list before bed to get all your anxious thoughts out. Read a book. Don’t use blue screens before bed. And consistency is key for your brain to start recognizing these patterns.
4) Tap Into Your Community. Ask for help when you need it and take care of your friends when they need help. Helping others is connected to the pleasure part of our brain. Get a big dose of serotonin by looking to help those in need.
5) Don't Forget To Have Fun. When life gets overwhelming, sometimes the first things that get cut out are the things you actually enjoy doing such as your hobbies, reading, or watching your favorite comedy on TV. Self-care includes making sure you are balancing the things you enjoy alongside life's stressors.
Learning healthy emotional regulation and coping skills can take time and energy so be patient with yourself as you learn and grow. We’re here to better help you on your journey to managing stress and anxiety. Schedule an appointment with one of our therapists to learn more specific ways to take care of yourself and your emotions.
