The morning begins.
I have already mopped.
I’ve cleaned away breakfast.
The kids have eaten and are off to school.
I’ve done a million and one things and I’m feeling worn out and the day has barely begun.
Everything was ok, but now one of the kids has lost a shoe.
The kids are stressed.
They are crying.
It’s a typical morning and I’m feeling overwhelmed already and it’s not even 8.30am.
I’ve been working for the last few days. I’m ready to socialise over the weekend! It’s been a big week!
Can you relate?
I’m tired. Sore. Achey and slightly overwhelmed… Eeek!!
When we are feeling stressed out, it is easy to feel the stress emotionally, but also physically.
Over the last few months, I’ve seen a lot of clients who are tired. They are overwhelmed. They feel physical pain as a result and their emotions are out of whack!
It makes sense the last few years have been stressful for all of us.
Covid. Lockdown. Mental health. Sickness. Loneliness. Not allowed to see family members.
.. and now the cost of living is rising. Many of us have had to contend with trying to keep work afloat. Balancing everything. It makes sense that many people feel anxious, tense and what often happens is little things become worrisome and this affects us on so many levels.
If you can relate, you are not alone.
What is stress?
Stress is a normal response to challenges and threats thrown at us on a daily basis. It occurs when we experience worry or mental tension as a result.
While stress is response that is normal there are ways to relieve stress so that it doesn’t rule our life. We can feel more control and we can feel a better sense of calm.
Great ways to reduce stress
Head out into nature or take a walk
Sometimes the simplest answers are the best. It’s that way with walking. Research shows that just 10 minutes of walking or being present in nature can lower your stress and increase your ability to cope with the everyday.
Simultaneously walking is exercise. Sometimes we forget this cause it seems to simple. As we don’t always want more complicated exercise programmes, walking is a great alternative. A quick walk can be the best way to just get you going!
Plus, how good does it feel to get into nature. Breathe. Look around you. Reflect. Listen to a podcast or whatever takes your fancy.
Walking is good for you! It’s good for your mental health and wellbeing! And it’s enjoyable and really not hard to do.
Doing it with someone else is great also.
If you find it hard to get going, find a buddy to be accountable to. A friend and I often check in with each other as we walk or after. We send each other photos and encourage each other to keep walking. Easy!!
Essential oils help reduce stress
Essential oils are a quick, easy and effective way to cope with stress. Pop a drop on your hands and breathe it in. Pop a few drops in a diffuser, as breathing in oils supports the emotional part of your brain. Once you have breathed in the oil it’s like the switch in your brain goes off and your coping mechanism kicks in.
Essential oils I suggest for stress are:
Stress Away
As the name suggests this blend is great as a reliever of stress. It includes lime and vanilla. Many times I’ve popped it on myself or my kids and ahhhh… it’s like I can breathe, and I immediately feel a sense of calm.
Lavender
Great for calming and letting go. This is my go-to oil. Amazing for kids and adults alike. Smells amazing and again brings instant relief. I found when my kids were little and just couldn’t sleep this was a Godsend. Plus, it smells awesome!
Peace and Calming
Pop this one on the wrists or the bottom of the feet for a calming feeling to run through the mind and body. Smells amazing and the kids will love it as well.
Orange oil
This is the oil of happiness. You can combat stress by popping a drop on your wrists or feet which helps to shift those negative feelings. You can also pop a drop of orange oil into your water for a refreshing drink.
Essential oils are a simple and effective way to reduce your stress. They are easy to carry with you and give instant effect. Remember that not all oils are created equally. You want to avoid adulterated, synthetic oils. I recommend going with a brand that is pure, doesn’t have any fillers and where you know where your oils have come from (not a lab!) This is the brand I recommend. I am always happy to fill you in on how essential oils can support your family and you – just reach out. (How to use essential oils for stress!) link to blog).
Not sure what oils might work for you? Feel free to reach out to me for ideas.
Massage is the bomb
What better way to reduce stress than get a massage!
Massage is great for both physical, energetic and emotional stress reduction.
How awesome that massage can work at a few levels. It also helps to lower your cortisol levels and releases serotonin. This boosts your ability to cope with physical pain and hence reduces pain and reduces feelings of anxiety and depression. For more info on this research go here.
This is fantastic for your overall well being!!
Not sure whether you should get a remedial, relaxation or raindrop technique massage?!
Remedial massage will be best when you are feeling physical pain or have tension in areas of the body. I find most people have tension in the neck, shoulders and lower back. That’s because we tend to lean over computers and phones. As women we also carry a lot of emotional baggage on our shoulders.
Relaxation massage will be a great choice if you are feeling you need to simply zone out. The focus is on stress relief and slowing down the nervous system.
Raindrop technique is my favourite technique. It is light and therapeutic. It is extremely relaxing (fall asleep relaxing!) and works at a more energetic level. If you need a body detox and feel your body and energy is out of alignment, then this one will be for you.
Talk to your therapist about which massage will be best for you at this time. I highly recommend regular monthly massages. This is a fabulous way to maintain your body and fabulous self care.
Haven’t got a therapist, you can check out my services here, and I am always happy to chat to you about what therapy will work for you.
Self Care reduces stress
Self care has definitely become a bit of a catch cry recently. However, it isn’t really. When I talk about self-care, I mean the process of looking after yourself. Taking care of who you are and what you do. For some people self-care is what I have already talked about: massage, oils, walking.
In and of itself it is also a mindset of looking after yourself. Looking after your thinking and how you go about daily life. It’s not selfish to look after yourself physically and mentally. Take care of what you eat. What we put into our mind. Even when adding in strategies with massage we are taking care of ourselves. By taking care of ourselves we can in turn take care of those who rely on us. This is fantastic as it helps us to feel in control, stress- less and take on what is thrown at us on a daily basis! Win!!
Grounding Activities
These include:
Prayer
Meditation
Journalling
Reflecting
Silent Time
Women’s circle
All activities that allow us to be present in the moment and take the focus from the stresses that are part of our lives. When we live in highly stressful situations this is super important. Let’s face it most people are on full speed ahead most days. We need times to:
Take a step back.
Stop and let go of what doesn’t serve us
Live in the moment
Thinking about or connecting with others brings us back to who we are. It allows us to release and let go of those things that can get in the way and that ultimately are not important.
I particularly love women’s circles. They enable us to connect with other like minded women. Release and relax. Set intentions and engage in sound therapy, breathwork and yoga (to mention a few activities), all which help to reduce our stress levels. It is also a lot of fun and engaging. At the ones I run we drink lots of tea!
If you haven’t checked out women’s gatherings, you are always welcome to come and join us. Check out our next circle here.
A last comment on stress…
For many people stress can be quite debilitating.
For most of us it is a part of life that we have learned to live with.
While stress is inevitable there are great ways of reducing the impact that it has on our daily life…
No one wants to be that cranky, overwhelmed and moody mum or friend.
My encouragement to you is to use a few of the tips above to navigate stress on a daily basis. Find what works best for you.
Be awesomely amazing as you are. Let go and release what isn’t serving you.
As always here for you if you would like to connect or to check out my services!! For more information feel free to head to my website or facebook page.
Wholistic Wellness Hub 