What Is Stress?

Stress is your body’s natural way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. It’s the body’s defense mechanism kicking in. When it works properly it can help us stay focused, alert, energetic and to cope with emergencies. So it will help you stay on your toes during a presentation or slam on the car brakes if needed.

Stress is neither good nor bad. It is our response to stress that causes the problems. If we allow it to build up and don’t use healthy coping strategies then our stress levels become too much. We need to proactively seek healthy ways to bring our stress levels back to manageable levels.

Before you look at the tips below it is important that you understand what happens when we get stressed.

Flight, Fight Or Freeze Responses, What Are They?

The body can react to a stressful situation in one of three ways. We can fight, get angry and lash out physically or verbally. We can take flight, run away. Or we can freeze, play dead. It’s useful to know what that means for your body. Plus if you can also identify your typical response then you can change it for the better.

When we feel threatened, our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones. These include adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for emergency action. Our heart pounds faster, our muscles tighten, our blood pressure rises, our breath quickens and our senses become sharper.

These physical changes increase our strength and stamina, speed or our reaction time, and enhance our focus. They prepare us for the fight, freeze or flight response. As I said in some situations that is warranted but what happens to our bodies when the stress becomes too much?

How Stress Build Up Affects Your Body?

There can be many internal and external causes of stress. All of these causes will affect your body both mentally and physical. For instance it can cause premature aging, strokes, heart attacks, migraines, blackouts, stomach ulcers, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and fertility issues to name but a few. You can find more details of the affects of stress on the body here.

For today just ask yourself.

Which way do I normally react to stressful situations (your behaviour/responses when stressed)? What triggers have you noticed? Make a note in a journal of a few examples of how you react. Particularly ones that occur regularly and how you respond to them.

Are there particular people or situations that are causing you the most stress? Start making a note of these also.

How does your body react to stress? Have you noticed any particular symptoms? Remember to look at some of the following: How you are thinking? What are your physiological symptoms (where and what do you feel stress in your body)? What are your feelings when you notice you are stressed?

If we are to overcome stress then we need to start to recognize what is happening to us. We need to become more aware of our mind and body. How we are reacting to stress is only one part of the equation. For further training to help you recognize all your responses to stress then join my free group.

9 Ideas You Can Try For Stress Reduction.

1. Do A Quick Brain Dump.

If you are feeling stuck, stressed, or anxious, at any time during the day, then just do a simple on the go brain dump. A brain dump is a simple exercise of writing everything we can think of down on a piece of paper or in a word document.

We can then use it to pick the next quick step (short task) that is important to achieve. Try to pick a 5 minute task to begin with then move on to the next quickest task. We can also use the brain dump to see where, and with what, we might ask for help or delegate or delete off our “to do” list.

It’s okay to use this technique at any time of the day even if you have things planned out in a diary. Doing a brain dump gets the things out of our heads we need to do and shows us the next action step to take.

It can be normal for stress and anxiety to build up during the day. So think of the brain dump as giving us a chance to take a breath and refocus our attention to what needs to be completed next. Plus we realize we don’t need to carry everything around in our heads as we go about our daily business. We can let them go and focus fully on one thing at a time.

2. Disconnect From Technology, Media And Social Media Sources.

If you are becoming more stressed then you need to switch off from technology as much as possible. The constant bombardment from notifications on all our devices increases our stress and anxiety levels. We feel obliged to check a notification the instant it is reported. Our technology has certainly trained us to respond well. So do yourself a favour and switch off notifications to start with.

Try to stick to a strict work schedule as well. Don’t have notifications popping up on your devices at home. Once you are finished then log off fully from work. If you cannot do this, then it’s time to ask for help with some of your tasks. You need downtime from work or your stress levels will certainly only continue to rise.

3. Let Go Of “Should” Statements.

Telling ourselves we “should” do something robs us of our choices. This then adds to our stress and anxiety. We sometimes forget when we are stressed that we always have choices. So now is the time to drop the “shoulds”.
1. Make a list of all your “should” statements.
2. Next to each “should” write down what will happen if you do this. Then what will happen if you don’t. This will give you a gain or a loss from your perspective.
3. Is what you gain, or lose, that important to you?
4. Rate your “shoulds” on a scale of 1 to 10. (10 being the most important to you and 1 being the least important.)
5. What “should” statement makes you feel the most stressed, anxious, guilty, etc., and why? Don’t leave out the why!
6. Next look at your values/belief/strengths. What “should” statement is in line with your current values, etc.?
So what have you learnt so far?
7. For any “should” statement you consider important to you: How can you rewrite the statement so that it reflects your values, etc.
8. Let the other “should” statements go.
Why are you holding on to them?
Who said you “should” do this originally? Look for that inner voice. What is it trying to tell you?

4. Set An Alarm For Bed.

We need a regular routine not just for our sleep but for our brain and organs to function correctly. Plus to cut our stress and anxiety levels also. We often remember to set an alarm to get up in the morning. But what about setting one to go to bed at night?

How many of you have gotten up off the sofa to go to bed knowing full well you are tired and then just completed a few more tasks along the way? Next thing you know it’s an hour later and you still haven’t gotten into bed. I know I have.

So to combat that and to make sure I could set a boundary with myself I set an alarm for bedtime. That way I could remind myself that whatever got done by that time was done and I had done enough that day. Give it a try to reduce your stress.

5. Use A Problem Solving Strategy.

Feeling stressed out by a problem or overwhelmed? Then you need a problem solving strategy. You can use the Stop, Think, Decide method to help you decide your next step.

Stop means just as it says. Stop and take a break. Use your breathing to anchor you and calm you. If you need to go for a short walk to get some of those stress hormones shifted out of your body.

Next comes Think. Sit down with your journal and answer the following questions and brainstorm some ideas:

1. What is the real problem? When we are stressed we can lose sight of the real problem. Then we run around trying to fix everything but the right thing.
2. What are your options?
3. Write down what the worst case scenario could be ?
4. Make a note of the pros and cons of all your options?

Review your list and chose one that suits you. Listen to your gut instinct here. Ask your positive support system what they would do if you like.

Now you get to Decide. You have to pick one option and give it a go. Don’t forget to break it down into manageable and achievable steps. Plan these out into your planner. If you don’t allocate time to this you will set yourself up for failure.

Do set up a review period also. Preferable weekly and give your option at least two weeks to see if it will succeed.

Remember you can also change your mind and go back and pick another option at anytime. This idea can get lost in translation. But when we realize we can change our mind it can take care of the fear factor.

6. Work With Your Body’s Natural Rhythm.

Don’t force yourself. Get in tune with your body, mind and heart more. Tuning in to what is the right time for you to do different things can help reduce your stress.

For example: Your body is more likely to have high levels of cortisol in the morning. So if exercise is something you need motivation for then get in some walking before breakfast. Or walk the kids to school and come home and have your breakfast.
Just 10 minutes of exercise will help you process the food differently than if you do no exercise.

Or in the evening our melatonin is rising to make us naturally sleepy. Why not keep your relaxation exercises or meditation till then. This will also help you sleep better also.

Think about if you are a natural lark or owl. If you are a lark you are better off tackling harder things in the morning when you feel fresher. And at night you will be sleepier so go easier on mental and physical activities. Reverse this if you are a night owl.

Working with our bodies will help us achieve those changes in habits a lot easier if we work with them.

7. Get Your Environment On Board And Working For You.

Don’t allow your environment to sabotage you and increase your stress and anxiety as a result. So are you working from home and can’t find paperwork? Then get a simply organization system in place. Have you taken over the kitchen or dining room table? Then get upset when people move things? Maybe a bookshelf and basket system would work so you can clear things away quickly and easily when the kids come home.

Are the financial cost increased since you started working from home and this is causing you to worry? Then remember you are saving your company money working from home. Ask for a pay rise to pay the extra costs from your employer.

Are you trying to fit in some exercise but have no time? What about putting a stepper beside the kettle or coffee maker? That way you can exercise while you wait for the kettle to boil.

Is healthy eating your goal? Clear the pots and pans away after you cook so you won’t eat the leftovers. Use online shopping so you won’t be tempted to put unhealthy snacks in your shopping trolley.

What about a better night’s sleep? Have you set up a charging station outside the bedroom? Then you can make it a rule to leave all phones there at night. Have you got blackout curtains or blinds to prevent the light from waking you too early? You can do this with children also.

Are you stressed in the mornings trying to get the kids dressed? While putting away their clothes group them together as full outfits. So socks, underwear, tops, bottoms all folder or hung together. You can use pegs to attach socks and underwear to hanging clothes. That way you are not rooting for socks at the last minute.

Think, is this environment helping or hindering me? Is it making my stress and anxiety worse or better? Remember ask others for advice on what systems they have in place to help their environment be less stressful.

8. Plan In Your Breaks During The Day.

We all ignore the fact that we can’t keep going and going and not burnout. If you are feeling stressed it is your body’s way of telling you it’s time to change your ways.

One way to do this is to plan in some breaks during the day. Even five minutes between different tasks does help. If we want to reduce our stress levels then setting a healthy boundary of planned breaks is essential. Take your tea breaks and lunch breaks during work and at home.

If you find your day so busy you can’t take lunch then you have to ask why that is?
Is it all down to a busy schedule? Or has it to do with what is going on in your head? Is it some kind of cognitive distortion such as perfectionism or people pleasing?

Remember no one is that needed. We are all replaceable except to ourselves.

9. Feeling Anxious Then Get Moving!

If you’re feel anxious or –ancy, a kind of anxious energy in your body particularly in your legs, then get moving. Don’t just sit or stand there. Instead get up and move about. It doesn’t matter what you do, just move.

Use the stairs, walk around your desk, or a room, do a few jumping jacks, pushups, a few yoga moves, etc. This gets the adrenaline (one of the stress hormones) used up and out of the body thus calming us down.

Remember you body is being flooded with the same hormones whether you are anxious, stressed or angry, etc.  So make sure to act appropriately to help yourself.

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.