Dodging Stress (An Attempt)

Last week felt all pure & optimistic and now I'm already dragging *crying emoji*. That burst of energy was bound to burnout, but I felt like I had more time. But no, here comes the stress! I feel like my mind almost always finds something to stress about and while these things are all valid stressors, I just don't want to live there! So I'm working on some practices to protect my peace and somehow reroute my mind when it wants to head to Stressville.

1. Take 3-5 Deep Breaths: Okay, yes this is basic, but it really helps. When I find my mind racing and reminding me that I'm a failure (which I'm not and neither are you) these deep breaths can help calm my mind and energy. TIP: Don't rush through the breaths, just breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts and exhale for 4 counts. Be present.

2. Go Outside: If you can, I highly suggest just being outside for 5-10 mins. Breathe in Mother Nature. Touch a tree, or don't. I don't know what the trees are like by where you live. But being outside reminds me the wonders of the world and how what I am doing, no matter how important it is, is just a small piece of what's happening on this planet and in this Universe.

3. Listen to a Song that You Love: Music is my happy place. I have a lot of songs that can just pick up my whole mood. I even made a playlist of music you can vibe to. This can be the quick mood boost you need to deal with whatever your source of stress may be whether it's work related or personal.

4. Free Write: I love love LOVE a good free write! Release what's stressing you by listing it out or just writing run on sentences. Write what makes that issue hard to deal with and how you'd like to approach it and then how you should approach it (sometimes these are NOT the same approaches. Ha!). When I see these issues written out, I feel my stress lessening and more space for me to take action.

5. Move Your Body: This doesn't have to be a full-blown workout. It can just be swaying or stepping in place or winding your hips a bit. I find that when I move my body, I am moving the stress out of places where it tends to get locked up. If you feel stress in your shoulders, roll them and let that roll flow through you. Shake that physical stress away.

6. Say Nice Things to Yourself: It's all too easy to be mean to yourself when you are stressed. I like to break down the stressful situation and kind of talk myself through it. Things like "I am okay" or "Things will get better" or "I will be fine in time" help quite a bit.

7. Get More Sleep: Lack of sleep can help feed any stress that I'm feeling. I do my best to get at least 6 hours of sleep at night if not more. I also take naps when I can and if I can't fit in a nap, I just try to sit with my eyes closed for 5-10 mins to let my mind and body rest before my next task.

8. Tackle Your Stress: If your stress is something you can take action on, do just that. A lot of my stress comes from gigs or creating content, but I find that most often it's the thought of the work that is slowing me down rather than the work itself. Once I get over a multitude of mental barriers, I can make time to work on the task and feel the release of stress while embracing the relief of completion.

I really hope this helps you and if it does let me know!.

xo

Sassy