How to Stay Calm in Times of Stress
How are you doing these days? Are the summer days feeling relaxed and carefree? Or does summer travel and lack of a schedule have you feeling stressed? We are definitely feeling the ups and downs of the season here and today we’re sharing our tips for staying calm during times of stress, just in case you’re in a stressful place too!
Breathe In, Breathe Out
We’ve heard about the benefits of mindful breathing for years. Keep it simple. When in doubt, pause where you are and take 5 deep belly breaths. Breathe slowly in through your nose until your belly expands fully, then release slowly through your mouth. Repeat for 5 breaths. At the end of 5, begin again with another cycle of 5 if you still need it. The breathing will help your mind connect to your physical body and remind your body you can calm down.
Building Structure When You Don’t Have It
Even without a schedule we can give ourselves some basic check-ins each day. This is a great time to utilize your planner or notebook. One approach to structuring our days is the 8+8+8 approach. We can think of it as dividing our day into 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of working hard, and 8 hours of feeding your body and soul (time spent on the people you love, faith, health, self-care, hobbies, and service). If you work long hours or are currently parenting young children this approach might seem absolutely laughable. But it’s a great place to start if you’re craving routine. Use your notebook or journal to map out your ideal day and try this approach for a few days. Each day check in and see how things are going.
Return to Your Motto
Do you have a personal phrase, quote, or words that bring you comfort? If you don’t already, explore finding words that help ground you when you feel stress. One phrase that always grounds us is “We cannot control the behavior of others. We can only control how we respond to others.” We also love the reminder, “Right now it’s like this.” It reminds us that life is constantly changing. If things are tough, they are bound to change soon. Robert Frost’s words about life are similar, “It goes on.” Find words that ground and comfort you. Write them in your planner, repeat them in your head, and hang up a note with the words somewhere where you can read them each day.
Basic Self-Care
Again, the basics we all know but sometimes they are the first to go when we’re feeling stressed or anxious. Stick with the basics and do your best to touch on them all:
-Try for 7-8 hours of quality sleep at night.
- Get a dose of sunlight in the morning, even if it’s as simple as rolling down the windows of the car, or taking the dog for a short walk.
- Prioritize drinking water, reduce your reliance on caffeine and alcohol.
- Feed your body nutritious foods that brings you energy. Fill half your plate with vegetables and eat those first. Feed yourself quality protein and carbohydrates that provide fiber. It doesn’t need to be perfect, just consistent.
- Move your body. Prioritize walking, strength training, and activities you enjoy.
- Make time for stress-reducing activities. Do you love to read? Journal? Make art? Swim? Meditate? Dance? Schedule a little time each day for what you love.
Turn the Noise Down
Commit to keeping the tv, news, and social media silent for the first hour of the day. Give yourself time to wake and connect to yourself before going into the noise. Set limits on your phone for apps that suck your time. And check in with yourself. When you’re scrolling, ask yourself how you’re feeling. Are you filling your cup? Mindlessly scrolling to escape? Set your intentions and be mindful with how you’re spending your online time. If you’re feeling discouraged and overwhelmed with the news of the world, think about real action you can take to contribute to the changes you want to see. This will help battle feelings of helplessness and feeling out of control.
Check in With Yourself & Appreciate
Utilize your notebook or planner to check in daily. Write things down to get them out. A good brain dump of everything on your mind can feel so good! Take time too, to note your gratitude and appreciation. Creating a daily gratitude practice will help battle the big feelings of stress, anxiety, and fear that can overwhelm us.
We hope these strategies can help you find your calm in the storm of stress. Please share your strategies for finding your calm in the comments below! Let’s brainstorm ways we can support each other and ourselves. Enjoy these (hopefully) stress-free summer days!