We all experience stress from time to time, whether it’s work-related, juggling the balance of relationships or staying afloat in a cost of living crisis. Sometimes, this stress response can be helpful and allow us to push through fear in the short-term such as delivering a speech. However, if stress is prolonged and left unmanaged, it can cause mental ill health or worsen existing conditions. This Stress Awareness Month Restore is sharing tips to manage stress and open conversations around its impact.
8 Tips for Managing Stress (DE-STRESS):
Distraction
Distract yourself from the stressful situation by listening to a favourite playlist/reading/watching TV/Netflix/going for a walk in a natural environment.
Exercises
Breathing exercises and physical activity helps you to reconnect to your physical body and get you out of negative thinking. This could be jogging, walking or gardening.
Stress diary
Keeping a mood diary can help you to look out for signs and triggers of stress and help you to remember the things that help you to cope. Try Dailio or other similar apps, or use paper books.
Time
Give yourself a set or defined “worry or fear” time of 5-10 minutes and allow yourself to think and feel what these sensations feel like in your body openly.
Reframing
Reframing a situation from a positive perspective and listing the things that you are grateful for from that initially difficult situation.
Express yourself
Talking and connecting to a trusted person or group about a stressful issue, helps you to get it “off your chest”. Equally, doing something creative that is low in demand can calm your mood (e.g. doodling, colouring, tending to plants).
Sleep
Getting enough sleep and eating nourishing food regularly is a vital buffer against negative stressors (try the ORC courses on Healthy Sleep).
Self-care
Building in self-care rituals like showering in the morning or baths in the evening/writing morning pages, gives structure to life which is vital.
Learn more about ‘Coping with Stress and Anxiety’ with free courses at the Oxfordshire Recovery College:
If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, getting help as soon as possible is important. Please seek professional support and look after yourself with a good work-life balance.