How stress impacts our behaviour
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at the stress response and how it impacts our body and mind. Read on to find out how ongoing stress impacts our behaviour and learn some top tips to combat daily stresses.
How stress impacts our behaviour
Stress also has a detrimental impact on our behaviours. This in turn can prevent us from taking the steps we know are necessary for our wellbeing. I’ve spoken to plenty of people who would love to come to a yoga class, but the stress of starting something new is too much for them. So they don’t make it along and they miss out on the amazing stress busting support of a yoga practice.
This is how stress impacts our behaviour, it takes a 3-pronged approach, impacting our bodies, minds and behaviours. But if we can address our stress levels in one of these areas it will positively impact the other two. This will lead to an improvement in how we feel.
Top Tips to beat Stress
So here are some ideas how to change your behaviours when stress starts to prevent you from doing what you enjoy.
- Connection – talking to someone you trust about how you feel is a massive step. They may not have the solution you need, but they can support you in plenty of other ways.
- Exercise – I know, the last thing you want to do is workout when you feel fatigued from stress, but this is exactly what you need. A walk in the park is a great place to start, bonus points if you can take a dog with you!
- Yoga – heading to a yoga class can be a stressful trigger in and of itself. But there are plenty of other opportunities to begin your yoga journey. YouTube holds a wealth of free videos where you can get started. There are also plenty of online yoga courses and classes now where you can practice from the comfort of your own home.
- Sleep – feeling stressed can leave us fatigued but sleep doesn’t come as easily when we feel this heightened alertness. This can lead to watching tv late at night, or doom-scrolling through social media. Set yourself a phone curfew, perhaps the device goes away from 8pm until 9am every day. That’s a great start, as the blue light from the phone can keep us more alert, making sleep more elusive.
- Want to go a step further? Then head to bed before 11pm. The Gallbladder is most active between 11pm and 1am, and it governs the length and quality of our sleep. So, give it a chance to do it’s job by heading to bed early and maybe even listening to an guided audio relaxation.
Want to try some yin yoga poses to help you sleep better and boost your wellbeing? Then check out the Yoga by Gillian YouTube channel where you will find an oasis of yoga videos to support the daily management of stress.
