Before reading, relax your shoulder, breathe out, take a deep breathe in, and release it. Stress is such a normal part of life that we don’t even realize when it is affecting us. Every day I get ASAP requests at my job. Normally this first one is fine, but normally around the 6th one I can feel a lump in my chest. It gets hard to breathe and my brain starts freaking out about how to please everyone. I have to calm myself down so that I can relieve the stress.
One of the worst things about stress is that it causes more stress. In my case, I have 4 things I need to get done ASAP. I just sit there and stare at them because I am stressed and don’t even know where to begin. Shortly after a 5th request comes in, and the stress intensifies. This starts a cycle that keeps getting worse as time goes on. The only way to break it is with the help of others, or to find a way to manage your stress.
Why does it seem like everyone is stressed? Seems likes an accepted answer nowadays; “oh ya know, a little stressed.” Its like the world is a balloon filling with stress and its almost to it’s popping point. We just survived a pandemic, we are actively trying to survive a potential economic crisis, and we have to worry about the future of our world where each day the outcome looks bleaker. Our greenspace lessons each day so we become trapped inside. There is no good way to just have everyone go out and breathe.
But that is okay. Stress is a natural thing for humans. It helped us survive this long. Without stress progress would stall, people wouldn’t know what to do in danger, and honestly life would be less exciting. We should embrace stress and fight it at the same time. Take a deep breathe in and let the stress course through your veins, but don’t let it overpower you. Let it fuel you, but not flood you.
Of course everyone is different but here are some of the ways I embrace stress and manage it. To embrace stress I let it provide me with motivation to complete my work. In sports I use it to give me excitement. I use stress to know what is right and wrong. I use it to show me if I truly love someone. I use it to show me where to go and what to do in life. Stress is a great tool as long as you can mange it.
To manage my stress I do one of three things; write it down, breathe it in, lift it out. One of my biggest causes of stress comes from being overwhelmed while at work. I get twenty things thrown at me and I’m expected to do them quickly. I write things down so I have a clear list to go off of and do not get distracted. When dealing with stress that can’t be written down, taking deep breathes does wonders. I typically like to take these outside just to get fresh air and I will normally rub my temples to relieve any head pressure that has built up. When I need to really blow off steam I will go hit the weight room. Lifting heavy objects and being disconnected from the world for an hour does wonders for relieving stress.
Just know that being stressed is okay, and that even thought you are stressed now, you will overcome it and be stronger from it. I believe in you, find ways to embrace yourself and the way your body reacts to different situations.
The Kutty Katt's Thoughts 