In the world there seems to be a lot going, watching and listening to the news coupled with all you have in your own personal life to navigate. This could all seem a lot and also could lead to a little bit of stress which in turn becomes prolonged stress.
We all could do with a bit of stress busting to help keep the mind and body in sync. So I am going to share with you some of my own Top 7 stress buster tips which I hope you find useful.
My Top 7 Stress Busters
1 Exercise
Have you noticed after the pandemic the amount of people you see exercising daily on the streets or in the park? This is grrreat !! a nation taking responsibility for their physical and mental wellbeing. I tend to be an early riser so my morning routine starts with gratitude and I thank God for everything even the simplest. Then I get my exercise in during those early hours of the morning. The night before I place my tracksuit & trainers in place ready to jump on my bike to hit the road (or off road). I find this an excellent boost for the morning following a bit of breakfast which sets me up for some clear-thinking-coaching for the day.
2 Pets
Now before I begin to talk about pets, I totally understand that not everyone is a pet person and it takes a lot of genuine care and responsibility. Don’t get one if you can’t invest time and care. But on the other hand did you know that research studies show that human interaction with pets increases oxytocin levels in the brain keeping you calm and focused (research by HABRI) Medivet Group. We have a tropical fish tank which I can vouch for that it has a very calming effect just sitting a few minutes watching it stills the mind. It is definitely a good stress buster. I am a big fan of the London Aquarium and my local tropical fish centre.
3 Prayer & Meditation
People have different prayer and meditations which help them to maintain their focus. I find that prayer helps to focus my mind and is more than a good stress buster as it helps to know what really matters and what I might be giving focus to which is not as important. This separates what you can influence and what you can’t influence so why stress over it, just hand it over.
4 Friends
A quick chat on the phone with friends who champion you in your goals or just have a great sense of humour is another good stress buster. Laughter causes a chemical reaction in your body which helps with your mental health leaving you feeling more relaxed and is also good for your immune system.
5 Writing
Writing your thoughts out onto paper (not type) is a good way to de-clutter your mind. Our minds are a bit like a pc or should I have said PCs are like our minds. (Chicken or the egg which came first) : ) If you keep inputting into the pc without clearing it to make space it begins to slow down and not work as well as it should. Therefore, very similarly we need to clear our minds, take time every now and then to clear those jumbled thoughts to gain space and clarity of mind.
6 De-cluttering
De-cluttering the environment you work in or just changing around the layout of the furniture in your room can make all the difference to your mind and creativity. I have found that if my environment is a bit jumbled, I can be a bit jumbled in my thinking and flow. But with a bit of shifting around of furniture or a little tidying up changes the thinking and mood into a more positive one…try it.
7 Breaks
By taking short breaks whilst working and doing something completely different can help your mind, and also energise you when you go back to the task at hand. Do have a look at the “Pomodora effect” which is especially helpful when studying. It’s about learning about timed breaks, approach, and thinking to develop mental productivity.
Is all stress bad for you?
Having said all the above do remember not all stress is negative as sometimes we need a little of it to motivate us to get things done, but prolonged ongoing stress is the one that is not good for you or productive to your health. So be vigilant and look after you.
There we are my Top 7 Stress Busters which I hope helps you.
What do you do to reduce your stress levels?
To your confidence & joy
Coach Chris Browne
Warning if you are finding it extremely hard coping with stress do book an appointment to see your doctor who can help or signpost you to get that professional help.