Stress! We all have it. Some is good and helps us be productive and move into action, but too much and we can hurt ourselves mentally and even physically.
Lately I have had a lot going on. Demands at home and work have been compounding. Part of the stress at home has been trying to move into a new house since our three boys seem to be outgrowing where we are. Any of you that have moved know how stressful this can be on top of the normal stresses of life.
When I am stressed I get quite grumpy. I try to control my world even tighter so when people are not doing what I want I get irritated and tend to raise my voice a bit. . . usually toward my children unfortunately. This is all rooted in me trying to eliminate and manage my stress. When I am using poor methods to deal with my stress I am also setting myself up to lead poorly at work and home. As I write this I know I can’t control others, but can only control myself.
During this stressful time I went to bed unsettled and woke up the next morning thinking about this topic. So below are a few ways we may handle stress. The first list has unhealthy ways we manage our stress. You may do some of these things and when I say it is unhealthy I mean no judgement, just a statement that these are not helpful specifically to our physical health. Some examples of unhealthy habits may be excessive drinking, substance abuse, physically hurting ourselves (such as cutting), and even eating disorders can be used because people feel they can control it.
These are a few extreme ways we may deal with stress and I am sure there are other negatively impacting stress coping mechanisms, but these came to mind as big ones. So what are some healthy ways to deal with stress?
- Exercise – when not done to an excessive degree it can physiologically and psychologically benefit us even if the exercise is in bursts throughout the day. Maybe you get stressed at home and just drop on the floor to do pushups or sit-ups to help calm you down and burn the energy productively . . . I know weird, but helpful.
- Quiet time – I understand if your stress is those in your home this may feel impossible. If you have a lock on your bathroom door though it can be done. Taking five minutes to hide away and be quiet and still can calm us physically and mentally. Maybe you meditate, pray, journal, sit quietly and think of nothing or whatever works for you to slow down and help you regain perspective.
- Reading – do you have a special spiritual book you read or quotes that help you? Maybe the Bible is that book or some other book. It may be a fictional book that gives you time to escape into another world and when you are done you feel recharged.
- Talking it out – maybe you have someone in your life you can call up who listens and helps you process that stress. If you have complex business or personal issues that you need someone to help you think into then maybe hiring a coach will help you by helping you process and grow in whatever is creating the stress.
So as I was stressed I realized that morning I felt much better . . . still stressed, but not overwhelmed . . . after I spent time reading and journaling and physically getting it out through my workout. I don’t know what works for you and you probably have ideas I did not list. What non-destructive stress reducing habit do you need to employ? Maybe you are at a point that you need a coach, if so contact me and we discuss a free thirty minute coaching session.
Post some of your stress reducing habits below so we can learn from one another and grow in this. Stress happens and as we learn how to deal with it in positive ways we will be able to lead better at work and home.
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