STress Management For Busy Folks

HOT TIP: Stress Management should NOT be adding MORE stress in to your life.

That might seem obvious, but often times it can feel that way. Someone tells you to try that yoga class or get that massage but you cannot find the time in your schedule. The IG influencer tells you about their amazing, grounding morning routine but it takes 2 hours. You have grand plans to meditate for 20 minutes a day but suddenly the day is over and no meditation is done.\

It all can feel like just ONE more thing on your plate.

And then the guilt, OH the guilt. Does anyone else ever tell themselves "oh, I should've done that." or "oh I promised myself I would do that." The guilt is almost worse than the originally stress itself.

So how do you manage stress when you are SO SO busy?

First, a bit of a mindset shift. Then, a way to prioritize and last but not least, finding TANGIBLE, science backed tools that actually work for YOU.

Mindset Shift

We live in a world that is very all or nothing. you either exercise for an hour everyday or you don't exercise at all. That also leads to a lot of labelling and perfectionism. If you work with me 1:1 or in groups, two things you will hear me say a lot are..

" A Little bit Goes a Long Way"

AND

"Something is Better than Nothing"

With this all or no attitude, we often end up doing nothing most of the time. Especially when it comes to self care and stress management. If you don't have time to do it all, then it's better to wait for another day, right?

honestly, no.

So step number one to Stress Management for Busy Folks is this: Change your mindset. Shift your thoughts on what stress management and self care can look like.

Remember: Something is better than nothing AND A Little bit truly does go a long way.

Prioritize

I'm not going to lie— this might be the most difficult part of the stress management equation. This is the place I often get held up myself. This is where I ask you to take a good long look at your schedule, your life, your habits and your priorities. It can be eye opening and at times, cringe inducing— I binge watched Bones for HOW MANY HOURS THIS WEEK?!, I doom scrolled Instagram for how long?

Side note: I have NOTHING Against a good TV binge or Instagram scroll. In fact, I think sometimes getting lost in something silly and mindless is in itself, a way to manage stress and practice self care. BUT sometimes, we engage in activities without realizing how long we are doing so. The lack of awareness is more important to me than the activity itself.

If you want to manage stress well, decrease brain fog and feel good in your body, you will have to change some things. You will have to get honest with yourself on what is NOT working and what is potentially making you feel worse. You also have to get honest with yourself and realistically look at how much time you WANT to spend on self care/stress management. HINT: the answer does not need to be a lot.

When you know what time you have, what time you want and what you can let go of, you leave space to incorporate things that truly work so you get the most bang for your buck.

Journal Prompts for Prioritizing Stress Management

1. What in my day/week is NOT bringing me joy anymore and/or adding stress in my life?

2. Of the above, are there any things I can stop doing, ask for help, resource out or adjust?

3. What in my day/week are non negotiables? (work/ family/ friends/ sleep/ etc.)

4. What in my day/week is bringing my joy right now?

5. How much time do I realistically have to spend on stress management? How much of my free time do I want to spend?

Start with the reflection above and see where it takes you. you may have more time than you realize, you may have less. You may notice your week is filled with things that you dread that you don't really need to be doing. Knowing where you are now, helps you get to where you need to be.

Tangible, Science backed tools that Work

Here's the thing— there are a million different ways to practice self care AND each person out there is going to have their special recipe. Some things might work for me that don't work for you.

I love taking baths, getting massages, doing face masks and all those instagram worthy self care habits. IF you love them too, keep at it friends. But if you are looking for more, I got you.

First thing you need to recognize is what you need. This is something I dive deep into in Nourish Your Nervous System— my signature group coaching offer. We look at assessing where your nervous system is and understanding what it needs in different states. On a very basic level, that looks like a 5 body check in:

1. noticing how your physical body feels

2. noticing how your energy level feels

3. noticing what your emotions are

4. noticing how your breath is

5. noticing what is going on in your mind

If you are feeling lethargic and down, it might feel really nice to bring a little energy and movement into your system. If you are feeling overstimulate and burn out, it might feel really nice to do something grounding and calming. Understanding this and knowing this can take time but for now, start with the 5 body check in above. From there, you can find tools that work for you.

Here are three of my favorite different tools for different states of being:

Use this if you are feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed:

Lower Trunk Rotations:

This is a great way to improve mobility in the low back, stimulate the vagus nerve and slow down the mind.

Lengthen the Exhale

Anytime you lengthen your exhale, you are activating the parasympathetic nervous system— also known as your rest and digest nervous system. Start simple—inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 6.

Use this if you are feeling full to the brim and full of tension:

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation:

This is MY favorite way to release tension in the face and slow down. I use it all the time after a long day at the computer. The trigeminal nerve is a cranial nerve and is a very parasympathetic nerve. It can help regulate tension and pressure in the cranium.

Legs up the wall

Sit as close to a wall as you can facing sideways, lay on your back and swing your legs up above you so they are above your heart and let your legs rest on the wall. Stay here for 5- as many minutes as you like. This is a great move to simulate your lymphatic system and kick your body into rest and digest mode.

Use this if you need an energy pick me up:

Lymphatic Reset

Try out this video to show your lymphatic system love and shake things up in the middle of a stressful day!

Cleansing Breathe

Sometimes you just need to clear it out and let that shit go!! A cleansing breath can be a great way to simulate your sympathetic nervous system. This is perfect if you need an energy boost or midday pick me up

These techniques are just a FEW of what I use with my clients on a daily basis to feel good in their bodies and manage the daily stressors of life. IF you want to learn more, I am hosting a FREE lecture series: Stress Management For Busy Folks on January 24th and January 31st. It's TWO 45 minute lectures from 12:15-1pm and yes, there is a replay available. Ill share a bit more behind the WHY of these techniques and the HOW of finding what works for you!