We are in the middle of Stress Awareness month and so far we’ve had a look at how excessive stress can impact our bodies. But I wanted to take a moment to talk about my own experience with stress management and how I have learned to cope on a daily basis.
The journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu
It’s well known and often mentioned that migraines can be related to stress and when we live in the fast paced existence of 21st century life, stress is everywhere all of the time. There is little respite from feelings of anxiety and overwhelm as we try to keep up with modern life. That’s when we need to incorporate all the small steps to create a new lifestyle which supports the ongoing management of daily stress and bolsters our nervous system against future stressors. Try this Stress Busting yoga pose for some instant, on-the-go relief.
This is something I’ve been working on for myself, firstly to recover from ongoing migraines but also to encourage a better quality of life with less susceptibility to every cold and flu that comes along. Just like the quote from Lao Tzu above, my journey began with one single small step which has lead me to take more positive actions on my road to wellness.
It’s a journey, not a destination
Wellness isn’t the end goal here, I won’t get to some point in the future where I will feel amazing, sit back and say ‘well done me!’ This is the first of many mind-shifts I’ve had to adopt as I have come to realise that lifestyle is key and truly taking those small steps is the only way to thrive.
But many people don’t realise that stress has became a problem in their lives until they receive a wake up call of some kind. The motivation to make changes after a health scare can be a powerful one, but if we slow down a little bit before then, we might anticipate the building impact of stress before it becomes a flashing red light on our metaphorical dashboard.
On our wellness journey this is the time to pull-over and take stock of what we need before considering continuing with our journey onwards. And there are plenty of stress busting techniques you could try to help improve your resilience, wellbeing and mood. Again it’s just like Lao Tzu says, one small step is where we start to have a massive impact, but we need to take that first step to begin.
My Top Three Small Steps to Stress Management
There are a few things I do everyday to help me feel good. These actions have a cumulative effect over time and I notice if I’ve missed a few days, because the world begins to close in on me again. If you’d like some stress busting suggestions to help you get started then check out my top tips below:
Journaling – writing regularly in a journal can have a massive impact on our health including reducing feelings of depression, improving creativity, and helping us to achieve our goals. I like to start by writing about what went well today, which is a bit of an alternative to a gratitude list.
Exercise – after a stressful day at work, heading to the gym or out for a walk can offer a multitude of benefits to our physical wellbeing. I spend time outside each day walking with Jackson, but I am also on a mission to try different forms of exercise. Obviously yoga is a big part of my life too, and I try to fit in some stretching or more dynamic movements whenever I can.
Sleep – this one is massive and has made the biggest impact on my wellbeing. Prioritising sleep over sitting watching tv or scrolling on my phone has helped me to feel more rested and build my resilience to daily stresses. I have a bedtime for my phone now, where I put it in a drawer out of sight and I use a sunlight alarm clock to wake me up. I’ve also built an evening wind-down routine, which tells my brain that it’s time to settle down and head to sleep.
Join my FREE 3-day Serene Sleep Yoga Journey to learn how to use yoga to boost your wellbeing through a restful night’s sleep.
Yoga by Gillian 