Last week I wrote a post about handling stress, and retraining your triggers (in other words, choosing a healthy way to respond to stress). But, as I mentioned at the end of my post, responding to stress is really only part of the equation. I distinctly remember one day, in my pink terry cloth sweatsuit, being in line at Dunkin’ Donuts for my morning java. When the woman in front of me started a scuffle over coffee made the wrong way, and in all of the commotion, her coffee ended up all over my pink terry cloth suit.
I knew it wasn’t the coffee that really set her off, as we all have reacted to seemingly small things with big bad blow ups. I’ve come to learn there are some key actions we can take on a daily basis that help us on a “preventative level” so we don’t react to the small things with nearly as much d-r-a-m-a.
So, what helps keep baseline stress levels low and energy high? Doing these 4 things on a regular, daily basis can definitely help:
1. Connect to Something Deeper – Whether it’s morning prayer, meditation, or having a gratitude jar beside our bed, studies show that prayer and spirituality are among the best stress prevention and relief techniques. Not only will you be able to cope with stress better, your body will respond with faster healing, better immune systems, and less cortisol wreaking havoc inside and out.
2. Honor Your Physical Body – Yes, this means, simply put, exercise and fueling up on healthy food sources. When we honor the gift of our physical bodies, we are stronger inside and out, giving us a solid foundation to face the stressors life brings. We have a natural release of stress when we move more. There are lots of ways to connect with our physical selves – kickboxing does work wonders, Zumba really gets that heart rate going, using machines helps you focus on breathing deeply {inhaling and exhaling}, and for the non traditional movers – climb a tree, bounce on a trampoline, swim in a lake, you get my drift. Jumping for joy is always good exercise, too 😉
3. Inject Fun & Play Into Life – While life can be filled with many twists and turns, ups and downs, injecting “play” is essential. Levity and laughter are not only fun, but both have proven stress prevention and stress relief benefits! So by looking at life through a lighter lens, it makes it easier to handle difficult situations. Adding creativity and lightness to situations creates a healthy environment for all those around you, as well as lowers the overall tension and stress levels of the group. You can begin by giving yourself permission to play, and naturally you stop taking yourself so seriously – break out into a random dance party at home, sing loud in your car, be open about your quirks, accept yourself {and others} for who you really are – and that is, a magnificently made, amazing human being!
4. Serve Others – Using our natural gifts, our natural abilities to light up the lives of others, allows us to feel like we are contributing something to the world. According to the 2013 Health and Volunteering Study, volunteer work is just as good to the giver, as 78% of participants reported lower stress levels at the end of the study, and 94% said volunteering improved their mood! So, whether it’s baking bread for your neighbor, smiling at a stranger, nurturing and nourishing your little ones, or volunteering for a local nonprofit organization, helping others is healing to ourselves as well.
Making these 4 things part of our daily life helps us to function at low preventative levels of stress, and so it takes a lot more to create a reactionary response to situations that may cause stress. If you want to delve a little deeper into “connecting” as a means to combat stress overload, check out my blog post with more tips and examples: HERE
And, you can also watch my video interview on entheos* all about trusting our anchors – it’s available free until 7pm tonight! Just get your free ticket HERE
Enjoy this beautiful day!
Warmly,
Jenn
{or as my family calls me Jennie, or if you like to be formal Jennifer, I answer to just about anything…}
