Coping with Stress
As many of you will know I live in the Netherlands and my dad lives in Belgium. Even if these two countries are tiny and border each other, the distance right now feels big.
Although everything is under control, the worry about the health of my dad creeps in, my tummy feels increasingly knotted, my breath feels shallower and my mind struggles to focus. My typical responses to stress are clearly manifesting themselves. I realize I need to I take care of myself to make sure I can be there for dad. This is the reason I am moved to write this blog.
Many of us are some form of lock-down and are experiencing severe disruption to our daily lives. We are juggling more than normal; children’s needs and education, work, getting to grips with remote working and still somehow attending to our own needs. We are worried about our loved ones and possibly about our own health. And we have to adapt to a continuously changing situation. We undoubtedly are experiencing stress to varying degrees.
We are getting clear physical advice from health professionals: eat healthy, stay hydrated, get some sun if possible, move your body and sleep well. Yet, there is also our mental health. To support our loved one’s we need to stay mentally strong too.
These past few days I have increased my gratitude practice to remind myself of the blessings I have and look at that which is in my circle of influence, and thereby manage my stress. And I want to share some ideas with you to sustain and build your mental resiliency. These are little things you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Spend some time giving your mind a little rest through meditation and mindfulness (if you need some guidance there are great apps you can download);
Do some journaling to acknowledge concerns and thoughts running around in your mind. To avoid spinning into a downward spiral, jot down that which is within your control and the things you can do for yourself and your loved one’s;
End your day with gratitude. Think of three things you are grateful for each day and either share them with others, write them down or say them out loud to yourself. These can be small things like, “I am grateful for the soap I clean my hands with”, or bigger things like “I am grateful for the medical staff working night and day to keep this virus at bay”, etc.;
Have a little check in with nature. Look out of your window at what nature is doing at the moment, listen to the sounds of nature or if you have the luxury of a garden, balcony or indoor plants, give them some extra loving care;
Seek connection. We are social animals and isolation can be hard on us. Reach out to friends and family and find new ways to connect;
If possible give a little bit back to your community. Little gestures of helping others can counter a feeling of helplessness (e.g. write to somebody close to you or offer to cook a meal).
Limit your media consumption to give yourself some respite from the continuous assault on your psyche;
And always remember, “this too shall pass” (a quote used by many, but that most likely came from Rumi).
Above all, be kind to yourself and don’t beat yourself up if today you haven’t put any of the above or other things you promised yourself to do, into practice.
To cope with stresses in our lives, some of us need a helping hand to stop and take stock. Help with identifying the big or small changes within our reach in our day-to-day and reconnect to a sense of being and not just doing.
In our 6-week ‘Radically Reconnect’ programme we bring you a deeper sense of insight into your habits, patterns and actions. You will also explore ways to incorporate new habits, behaviours and practices into your life. Identifying where you can take back some time for yourself to replenish and slow down.
If you’re curious, you can reserve your space now. For questions or individual coaching please contact me.