In the modern day, we live in a world where there’s always something seeking our attention. Whether that be our phone notifications or at work where we are being asked a lot of requests, This type of stuff can get overwhelming and stressful for one person and can result in stress and burn out. We get to the point where we think that 24 hours isn’t enough for a work day and that we need more hours. This instills the narrative that we have so much to do and that we are running out of time.
This type of anxiety can increase our cortisol levels throughout the day and affect other areas in our life too, like sleep quality. To help combat this stress, we are going to discuss various ways that we can take a moment and ground ourselves to the world again and help relieve some stress that you may feel throughout the day. Some of these are habits and some are physical gadgets that can help you release the stress. By doing these, I hope that you can find the glimmer of peace throughout your day to proceed with a clear mind/.
Physical Exercise
Physical exercise will forever be a staple that I will always include for stress management. After a long day and you do some type of physical activity, you’re exerting those stress hormones from your body in the form of exercise. By doing this, you feel a sense of a weight being released from your shoulders. During this period, your cortisol levels are decreasing, and your endorphins are increased. With endorphins being released, you get that “Runner’s High” that’ll uplift your mood.
With exercise, this is a double whammy because not only are you decreasing your stress levels, but you’re also building muscle and working on your cardiovascular health, benefiting your health in the long term. If you find this as a good solution to your stress, you can take it one step further and make this a habit every day and develop a healthy routine.
Stress Ball
Stress balls or fidget toys have been a new addition to my stress management this year. Specifically, the trendy “Nee Doh” glob cubes. These Nee Doh’s are great because they revert to their original shape regardless how hard you squeeze. The only con is that over time they do develop tears, causing the goo inside to leak. Regardless, stress balls are an amazing way to relieve stress at the moment. When you’re feeling stressed, you want to exert that energy somewhere. If you can’t make it to the gym at the moment or get some type of exercise, then squeezing of a stress ball can help stimulate you and help release cortisol at the moment.
Breathing Exercises
If physical exercise or tangible goods isn’t your style, then the best free option that we are given is breathing. These past years, I’ve discovered how powerful our breathing is to the body. It has so many abilities to make us resilient and overcome situations. For example, cold plunges are difficult, but most of the work is controlling your breathing.
If you find yourself in a stressful situation, here’s one breathing exercise that has helped me so many times. Let’s try this one together right now. First, read this paragraph, then try this out. Close your eyes and take 1 very deep breath. Hold that breath for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, slowly release your breath and repeat this process 3 times and then open your eyes. When you’re done, you should feel a sense of grounding and stability. When I try this, I try to imagine that I’m exhaling that stress feeling out of me.
Stepping Away From the Situation
If you’re dealt with a stressful situation or something that’s getting you annoyed, stepping away for a few minutes is a great way to ground yourself. By stepping away, you’re able to disengage yourself from the situation and get yourself back into an equilibrium state. While you’re away from the situation, you could engage in breathing techniques or do something that uplifts your spirits. When you return to the situation, you’re able to view it from a different lens instead of a frustrated stressed out. Your way of thinking can be changed, and you could realize that the solution was right there in front of you.
Disconnecting from the Digital World
We are always interconnected to the world via our phones. News articles, text messages, and social media notifications are constantly hitting our phones. When we see the notifications pile up mixed with what’s happening in front of us, this can be overwhelming for us. Throughout this article, we discussed methods to help with stress management physically, and one way to help from a digital experience is to turn your phone on Do Not Disturb.
This setting has been a savior for me throughout the work week. I’m able to focus on the task(s) in front of me and not be distracted from vibrations, headlines, or notifications from my phone. Of course, except for emergencies where I have a select amount of people allowed to bypass my DND status. I know what you may be thinking, well it’ll stress me out if after work I check my notifications and there’s 20+ from various sources. If you have, this happens to you then I would suggest 1) Is they’re a friend you try to catch up with them via a call. If it’s a group, you have one of the members try to catch you up. For news articles, I think those can wait until later in the night if you have the capacity to review.