July 2024 |

Stress & Anxiety...What's in your toolkit?

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July… Really? How are we already at this point in the year? The first two weeks of July bring a whirlwind of emotions for me. From realising that my kids are growing up and finishing yet another school year, to the endless stress and panic of juggling multiple end-of-year school events, planning for a work-life balance during the summer holidays with the kids at home, and the excitement of summer holiday fun and spending precious time with my (not so) little ones. AHHHH! Basically, I’m an emotional wreck hit by stress and anxiety. Throw in a batch of midlife hormones, and it results in a tough couple of weeks.

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So, what do I do when I feel like this? Firstly, I remind myself that this is normal and don’t judge myself for feeling this way. It’s important to allow yourself to feel stress and anxiety and recognise it is all part of life. However, being in a healthy place with controlling this stress and anxiety is also important, so I draw on years’ worth of techniques and tools that I have built up in my trusty toolkit and try to use them to help me cope.

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Every day and every situation you deal with is different, so it’s important to build up a kit with a range of tools to draw on the ones that suit the moment. I’ve been overwhelmed with so much to do and a lot of emotions recently, so I instantly draw on breathing techniques. I often don’t have spare time to sit in a peaceful space and just breathe (although I try to if I can) but I do incorporate breathing techniques into my daily life to help calm my overthinking mind and allow my body to just go ahhhh! Even if it’s just for a few minutes. So whether I'm cooking dinner, finishing some work or doing the housework I will consciously be working on my breathing.

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What do you notice about your mind and body when you’re stressed? Fast, hard breathing into the upper chest? Slumping in your posture? Tight neck and shoulders? Headaches? Racing heart? Can’t shut your mind off? Emotional and teary? Mood swings?

 

Being aware of how you are feeling and what you are feeling is a really useful resource in itself. It can help you work out what tool in your kit might help best in that moment. If I’m feeling sluggish, tight in the shoulders, and can’t shut my mind off, I try to do some movement, outside if possible, as you can’t beat a good bit of fresh air to slap you around the face and say, “Wake up, you’ve got this today.” I like to walk (as I haven’t quite mastered running yet) with intention, noticing my posture and tuning into all of my senses, just noticing what I can see, hear, and feel… and in those moments, I switch off all other thoughts that might be rattling around in my crazy head! (Don't get me wrong my mind often wanders back to my to do lists but the more you practice the better you get)  It’s actually quite fascinating what you notice when you 'really look 'at the same route you’ve been walking for years—I bet you will notice something you’ve never seen before.

 

Of course, if I don’t have the opportunity to go outside, even 10 minutes on my mat doing some Pilates will do just fine. Work out how you’re feeling and base your movement on that moment. Feeling like you want to power through? Do something stronger. Feeling stiff, tight, and meh? Do some more gentle stretching-type movements. There’s no right or wrong and no one judging—just you and your mind and body.

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What do you have in your toolkit to help you cope with stress and anxiety?

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It’s been a few months since I started writing my blogs, and they have all covered lifestyle areas that make up my many techniques in the toolkit, including nutrition, hot and cold therapy, breathing, movement, and there will be more that I will talk about over the coming months. Please feel free to check out my other blogs for insights and inspiration.

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Im very excited to be working on a new project that's very close to my heart and related to the content of this blog. Keep a look out for more information coming soon!