How Do I Manage Anxiety and Stress

“Too blessed to be stressed”

“Too blessed to be stressed” was my mantra for 2019. And honestly looking back, the positive outlook I had taken on really helped me sail through the year and achieve some long standing goals. So in the same vein, I had so many plans for 2020. But with all the uncertainty in the air it seems that stress levels are rising amidst concern not only for myself but my loved ones. So I’m guessing that many of you are feeling the same?

Its a very unsettling time, so here’s something that might help you manage your anxiety and stress as much it has helped me. Why not give it a try?

A 5 Step Action Plan To Manage Stress And Anxiety.

1. Be honest with yourself.

When you feel stressed, don’t run away from the feeling. Instead recognise it as a healthy response to what you are facing. Breathing through the processing of your thoughts will allow you to face it and let it go when the wave passes. Ask yourself truthfully and answer honestly what difficult situation is your stress asking you to take on? Are you equipped to deal with the situation at hand?

2.Don’t forget to focus on the the things you can control

Stress will trick you into thinking that you have lost control of a situation. That is why it is important to focus your energy on things you can control such as breathing, self-talk, gratitude, body posture, sleep routine, eating habits and exercise.

3.Who can help?

This is not the time to be screaming #no new friends. Help is help. Learning to say “yes please” is an essential skill that I have learnt. However I do appreciate that this is sometimes harder said than done. I, just like anyone else does not want to be a burden on my friends or family. However, I have found this kind of negatively fuelled thinking is not helpful to anyone. Because waiting until I have no other option, and forcing my loved ones to react and respond when I have found myself in a crisis is not fair on them. Im sure you would not want to put your loved ones in such a position worry. If the help is offered, just say YES! Accepting help is fine. If you need help, ASK FOR IT!!! call on your loved ones, just as you would expect them to call on you. Those who overcome together, stay together!

4. Journal about your worries

Writing things down helps you to start noticing the patterns and triggers for your stress levels. For example you may see that your stress levels rise every time you scroll endlessly on social media. You can then start to recognise the feelings that arise when you scroll in this way by reading over your journal. A practical solution could then be to set a time limit to your social media usage

E.g. Only logging in to social media for 20 minutes at a time. 3x a day. As opposed to scrolling for 3hours with no plan and no end in sight.

5.Thank the feeling

Stress does not define who we are as people. It is merely apart of us, an inbuilt survival mode that wants to protect us from difficult situations. Yes thats right! the PART of you that is worried and anxious, wants to protect YOU. But it’s important to remember that stress has a purpose, once you are aware of the feeling, it is important to recognise it, address it, thank it and let it go.

Stress is helpful!

There is research that supports the notion that stress is a good, adaptive response that is helping you rise up and overcome a challenge.

Therefore with this knowledge, if you learn to view stress/anxiety as helpful, the biological stress response changes. The heart still pounds and the lungs fill at a faster rate -but there is one key difference. When you view stress as helpful, the blood vessels no longer constrict (tighten), but instead remain open and relaxed. It’s the constriction that is thought to cause stress-related illnesses.