Stress levels have reached a fever-pitch this year. With the pandemic came fear for our health and the well-being of our loved ones, unprecedented social isolation and economic challenges with no clear end in sight. And still, the stressors we were dealing with before 2020 took us by storm won’t seem to go away. For many of us, this past year+ has been relentless in its challenges. Entering Spring with the weight of continued concerns, no big social gatherings to look forward to, or the stress of managing visits with loved ones as safely as possible is proving to be quite a lot to handle. With so few resolutions in sight, it’s crucial to attend to our needs now, to take time each day to bring a bit of ease into our lives. To break our sense of never-ending stress, we need to tune into our bodies and minds, pay attention to our needs, and take action to give our nervous system the chance to rest and rebalance.

With all that we have on our plates, how can we find time for self-care?

There are always opportunities to bring a touch of relief into our day. All it takes is a willingness to give it a try, and a drop of self-awareness. With a bit of practice, anyone can develop self-care skills. The key is to find your entry point – an easy, appealing place to start.

Stress busting activities to try – a few ideas to get you started, and a few ways to modify each activity to make it work for you:

Breathing

• Focus on taking 10 deep, full breaths in and out through your nose. With each inhale, feel your ribcage expand in front, back and sides, your abdomen and pelvis relax and broaden. With each exhale, feel all of the stale air leave your body, and with it any tension you may be holding onto. Do this every day before bed, or when you wake up, or anytime you feel the need for some calm.

• Try a guided breathing exercise. There are plenty of short ones to start with available free online or through various apps.

• Just notice your breath whenever you remember to through the day.

Meditation

• Try a guided meditation. There are plenty of short ones to start with available free online or through various apps.

• Seek out a meditation teacher or technique that appeals to you to try.

• Start with moving meditation: walk in nature, tuning into the different senses as you walk, qi gong, yoga (slow, purposeful movements).

• Bringing your focus into the present moment at any time, during any activity is an act of mindfulness.

Exercise

• Movement is a great way to break up tension and frustration. Even 5 minutes of vigorous movement when we’re feeling stressed can change our outlook.

Have fun

• There may be a lot less opportunities for the type of fun we’re used to having (especially if it involves social interaction), but it’s really important for us to still find time to have fun. So dance around your living room to some music that you love, indulge in creative pursuits that get you excited, find time to laugh and be silly.

There’s a beginner level to anything, so start at a level that works for you. Set goals, and track your progress. That’s how we keep ourselves accountable and increase our likelihood of improvement. Bring a drop of self-awareness to each moment that you remember to do so. Checking in with ourselves regularly helps us to sense, recognize and respond to our needs. In this way, we can mediate our stress response before it gets too severe, or goes on for so long that our physical and mental health begin to suffer.

It’s okay to struggle, we all do. We don’t have to live perfectly, be stress free, or have all the answers. We do need to tune into our own experience and needs, and respond accordingly. My hope is that from within the struggle, you’ll find your way to a little relief by using some of these stress busting techniques. 

What eases your stress? How do you have fun? 

Reach out and let me know! To learn more about how to break out of your stress patterns, and bring ease into your days and nights, read more at kristenmarknd.com/blog or email info@kristenmarknd.com to find out how to plan a group wellness session for your community group or workplace.