Stress is a part of life and it isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, stress can actually motivate us to do better or improve ourselves in a particular area but if not properly managed, stress can make us extremely anxious and even cause us to become depressed.
We can, however, go about managing stress mindfully. Mindfulness is defined as “a mental state that is achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations….”
This being said, we can react to life’s daily stressors in a calm, mindful way. Let’s look at a few examples of how we can better manage our emotions when faced with a stressful situation.
Need to vent? Aside from talking to someone and sharing your feelings, you can also choose to write in a journal or even on a blog. Writing is therapeutic in that it allows you to pour your emotions into words. Research has shown that journaling can help you manage difficult emotions and that writing down your thoughts can help you become more self-aware and can help keep you calm during moments or high stress or anxiety.
Are you bottling your emotions? Take a moment to express the way you feel. Bottling up of emotions does you more harm than good. The more you bottle up, the more likely you are to eventually explode. It is “ok” to feel overwhelmed. So, if you need to cry, do it. It helps more than you think. Remember not to minimise what you feel. Bringing your feelings to the core and accepting that you are experiencing a certain emotion will help you to manage. If you ignore the way you feel, your “symptoms” will only worsen.
Need a boost in self-esteem? Dress up and put on something nice. When you feel the most down, you can give a big boost to your self-esteem by “dressing up”. Clothes change how we think and feel. Our inner mental processes can be primed by our clothing as we internalise the symbolic meaning of our outer layers. Wearing an attractive outfit boosts mood and business dress improves mental agility.
Are your thoughts cluttered? Keeping your physical spaces clean and tidy will also help your mind feel decluttered. Clutter is stressful for the brain. Organising your physical space will make it easier to organise your thoughts in a coherent, free flowing way.
Sacrificing sleep for productivity? Many of us are workaholics, running on 4 to 6 hours sleep or even less. An adult needs about 8 hours sleep to be effective in their daily functioning. Sleep is not only crucial for memory formation, without enough of it we are at risk of anxiety, mood disorders and poor performance at work or school. If it’s hard for you to fall asleep, try changing up your routine. Take a warm bath, play some soft music, read a book and practice some relaxation exercises.
Remember that stress is a normal part of everyday life but what is key is knowing how to manage it in a way that is healthy and helpful for you and those around you.
