How you feel has a big impact on what you do and how you manage stress and pressure.
Studies in 2018 found that 74% of UK adults have felt so stressed at some point over the last year they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
This is a big deal and worth getting a handle on.
We are going to tell you why it is important and what you can do about it.
What is stress?
Stress is your body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response.
Stress can be positive, keeping us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger.
When you feel threatened, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which rouse the body for emergency action.
Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper.
This is a really useful response when you are threatened by something that can do you physical harm.
The stress response its self isn’t bad, it is designed to be life-saving, it just isn’t useful for our modern-day pressures. It will not help us when we have:
- Reports to write
- Interviews
- Final deadlines
- Juggling projects
It is, however, a very useful response if you ever find yourself alone in the woods with a hungry bear.
The body’s natural defense mechanism is designed to trigger your flight or fight response: run or punch.
When this is triggered it interferes with sleep, concentration, learning, memory and this makes dealing with the kind of modern challenges we face actually more difficult.
Running and punching are very rarely appropriate!
On a more sobering note, prolonged high levels of stress are damaging for your health.
Elevated cortisol levels increase blood pressure, cholesterol, risk of heart disease, cancer and strokes. It is also linked to anxiety and depression and lowers immune function and bone density.
Curveballs will happen and daily hassles will always be there.
It doesn’t matter how many stressful events you face, it is how you deal with them that makes the difference.
Managing stress is about taking charge of your lifestyle, thoughts and emotions, this will change the way you deal with problems.
No matter how stressful your life seems, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control.
We are going to give you three simple things that you can do to manage how you feel emotionally and calm both your body and mind.
1. Straighten up
Emotions and thoughts affect your posture and energy levels, conversely, posture and energy affect your emotions and thoughts
So, take control of your posture, it is a really easy place to start.
Body language conveys how you feel to others and it can change how you feel about yourself.
This isn’t just about displaying confidence to others, changing your posture actually changes your hormones,
An upright posture increases levels of testosterone and decreased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone)
- Tuck your belly in
- Lift the chest
- Roll your shoulders back and down
- Make your neck long at the back, chin tucked in at the front
Set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to do this throughout the day and it will soon become a habit
2. Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to combat stress.
As well as lowering cortisol it also helps release endorphins, these are brain chemicals that improve your mood, increase confidence and improve sleep.
Find the kind of exercise that you enjoy doing, this is key to keeping it up. As little as 20 mins a week has measurable benefits and the more you do the better you feel. 30 mins a day would be the optimum goal. Make sure it happens by booking it in your diary like any other appointment.
3. A few minutes to meditate
Meditation has been scientifically proven to help alleviate stress after just eight weeks of regular practice.
Numerous studies have shown that it is an effective stress-management tool, ultimately reprogramming the brain to the extent that you end up with more capacity to manage stress, feel more resilient and able to think clearly and make wiser decisions.
Over time it trains your mind to be more open and less reactive and you are better able to cope and respond in a helpful way.
Meditation is an approach to train the mind, similar to the way that fitness is an approach to train the body.
This meditation exercise is an excellent introduction
- Sit or lie comfortably.
- Close your eyes.
- Make no effort to control the breath; simply breathe naturally.
- Focus your attention on the breath and on how the body moves with each inhalation and exhalation.
- Notice the movement of your body as you breathe. Notice your chest, shoulders and belly move.
- Simply focus your attention on your breath without controlling it. If your mind wanders, return your focus back to your breath.
Maintain this meditation practice for two to three minutes to start with and then for longer periods, up to 20 mins.
Choose a time each day to practice, do it at the same time every day to cultivate a habit, set an alarm or book it in your diary
Summing up
Now you know how stress can affect your body and your mind and that the inbuilt response we have as humans does not suit the modern challenges that we deal with.
You now have 3 things that you can do every day if you incorporate them all you will make significant changes to the way that you feel.
Things to do and consider
How are you holding yourself right now? Do you need to straighten up your posture?
Check-in with yourself regularly and adjust. How can you remind yourself to do this throughout the day?
Do some exercise. 30 mins of exercise daily is considered optimal. Make sure it is something that you enjoy or you won’t do it. Think: what can I fit into my lifestyle that will not add to my load? What simple change can I make to introduce some exercise?
Meditate:
The same time each day will quickly make it a habit. Do this daily to change the structure of your brain. What is the best time of day for you? When can meditation fit into your routine without major adaptations?