By Brooke Stoltzfus, LSW
The end of October starts quite the busy season in most of our lives! Halloween kicks off the holiday season, and on top of that, we’re facing an election this year. The election and the holiday season can bring stress into people’s lives, and if you’re going into those seasons feeling overwhelmed and stressed already, those stress levels will just get worse! This blog talks about some small changes you can make to manage stress a little better in your life.
1. Be sure you’re keeping up with basic ways to care for yourself – eating, staying hydrated, maintaining personal hygiene, caring for your living space
We’ve all heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At the very bottom of the triangle lie our physical needs. This includes making sure we have food, water, shelter, clothes, and adequate sleep. When these needs aren’t being met, it can be nearly impossible to address our mental, social, and spiritual needs. So make sure you’re staying well hydrated throughout the day – taking little sips more frequently is a better way to maintain hydration rather than guzzling a whole water bottle in one sitting! The truth is, if you’re feeling super parched, you’re probably already dehydrated. Be sure to notice when your stomach is grumbling because operating on an empty stomach can impact mood and energy levels. It’ll be difficult to manage your stress when you’re starting at a baseline of hangry.
2. Start the morning off right – flood your mind with good things
Some people may experience a heightened level of anxiety right after waking up – that could largely be due to the fact that our cortisol levels are typically highest in the morning. What is cortisol? Cortisol is our body’s stress hormone and plays a role in our “fight or flight” response. So when we start our day off with reading the news, looking at social media, or worrying about our long to-do list for the day, we’re immediately putting a lot of negative thoughts into our brain. Try stepping outside and feeling the sunshine on your face for a few minutes before looking at your phone. Or maybe save looking at your to-do list after you’ve had some coffee and breakfast (or if you can, once you get to work!), or listening to the news after you’ve had some down time. The bottom line is, try to fill your morning with positive inputs upon waking up; you might be surprised how it has an impact on the rest of your day!
3. Be honest with yourself! Acknowledge when you need a break and take one
This one is important, and probably one that most of us should do more often! I wrote another blog post on the fact that humans are simply not superheroes. (You can find it here!) To summarize that blog, it’s normal that you would need a break since you’re not a superhero. Oftentimes when we take a moment to reset, we can be more productive afterwards. So be honest with yourself when you’re feeling burnt out, overwhelmed, overworked, etc., and try your best to take a mental and physical break.
4. Take some time to decompress
Ideally, this time to decompress would happen during the break that you’ve given yourself since you’ve acknowledged your limits! If you google “decompress”, its definition is to “relieve or reduce the pressure on (something)”. If a pot is boiling, we remove it from the heat to make it stop boiling. Even if you keep it on the burner, but turn down the heat, it’ll probably keep boiling for a little bit. For humans, when we’re boiling, sometimes we just need to remove ourselves from the heat. Decompressing is a time to clear our mind, sit down or get some movement, and take some deep breaths. Decompressing does not look like more scrolling on your phone or doing other tasks to distract yourself. It’s a time to empty your mind and “remove yourself from the heat”. What might that look like for you personally?
5. Share with someone close if you’re feeling stressed/overwhelmed
Humans are made for community! It feels good to share with someone when we’ve had a bad day because it’s essential to have people in our lives that we trust. A friend’s listening ear and comforting words go a long way. Someone with an outside perspective can also provide you with good advice for whatever is stressing you out. Lean into your community for support because they’re there for a reason!
6. Allow/ask for help
This goes hand in hand with #5. I would say most good friends would lend a helping hand upon hearing that you’re stressed out. Pride and control are just a couple of the things that can inhibit us from accepting help. Real friends enjoy helping, so let them! If you are a silent sufferer and good at hiding your pain, then you may have to point blank ask someone for help. Contrary to popular belief, asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s actually incredibly difficult for some people to do, and it is a sign of strength. So, just in case you missed it the first time – lean into your community for support! They are there for a reason.
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If you feel like your feelings of stress are difficult to deal with on your own or they’re turning into anxiousness, seeking professional help is a great way to learn how to better care for yourself. At Lime Tree Counseling, we specialize in techniques to help manage anxiety so you can live a life that is fulfilling. Our therapists can help with trauma counseling, grief counseling and anxiety therapy. We offer in-person sessions at our Lower Gwynedd, PA office as well as online counseling in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Please contact us today to schedule a session or a free 15 minute phone consultation.