Stop Tension in its Tracks with
5 Sure-Fire Stress-Busting Strategies
Good ol’ stress.
We’re likely in perfect agreement that life is not getting easier, and our options can be overwhelming. When all of life’s delights and demands pull us in ten directions at once, finding peace of mind is like finding a pin in a haystack. It’s at those times we need to tame those tensions and set stress to rest. But when life hits us in the face with a pie full of overload, what’s an overwhelmed girl to do?
1. PLAN AHEAD
So much of our modern-day stresses come from having simply TOO much on our plates, creating a nationwide outbreaks of A.D.D. meltdowns. Making a plan, and checking it daily, can not only stop your mind from burning the midnight oil, but help you spend your time more wisely and avoid spinning your life’s wheels.
I use a 1-year, 1-month, 1-week and daily list of goals and/or tasks, following a simplified (yet similar) system outlined in the fabulous book by David Allen called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Tip: For instant relief and results, try scheduling your day the night BEFORE. Doing this every day can make a huge difference between stress and success!
2. DO THE TOUGH STUFF FIRST
As human beings, we’re programmed to avoid discomfort. That’s why most of our deepest, most important work in life goes unfulfilled. We find temporary comfort in tackling simple, non-threatening tasks, often as an artificial substitute for deeper accomplishment, meaning or purpose.
This week, try working in order of priority. Jot down those things that are truly the most important in order for you to live a full and fulfilled life. What spiritual, career, relationship, financial, travel and health dreams do you hold? Schedule time for these things before all else, and complete them first-thing each day (trust me, the smaller things will still get taken care of)!
The satisfaction you’ll receive from even one week of living from the top down can change your life forever. (For more a more detailed plan, refer to The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
3. SHAKE YOUR BOOTY
Shakin’ your thang can be one of the best healing and stress-reducing remedies around. Even for chronic fatigue, adrenal exhaustion and other tiring challenges, getting yourself moving in gentle yet refreshing ways can oxygenate your blood cells, shift vital hormone balances and release endorphins to both raise your energy and gain mental clarity.
If you’ve fallen out of the movin’ and groovin’ habit, try building in a 30-minute walk most days and report back on the amazing effects by week’s end.
4. CUT THE CLUTTER
When our home offices, work spaces, living rooms and bedrooms are filled with visual reminders of unfinished tasks, broken objects, unsorted papers, or a growing mound of dishes, our bodies react with stress.
Some are more sensitive to clutter than others. And some are simply so tuned-out than they’re no longer conscious to the effects of their surrounding space. So try an experiment this week by taking one area of your home or work, and simply clear off all flat surfaces and hide all the stress-inducing visuals (make sure not to hide them permanently – we don’t want that stuff to turn stagnant).
Track your clarity, optimism and productivity when starting your day with clean surfaces and spacious surroundings (and send your thank-you cards to the address below!).
5. ASK FOR (AND RECEIVE) SUPPORT
When we take an honest evaluation of how we spend our time, quite often we are taking on far more than we can manage (and still stay sane). Asking for support — physically, emotionally and spiritually — can keep things on an energetic even keel.
Starting your day with reflective or meditative time — time where you can call out to Source, God or simply your wiser inner self for inspiration, faith or miracles — can provide spiritual and “inner” support that will powerfully ripple throughout your entire life experience.
Creating a strong emotional support network of friends, family, mentors, teachers and coaches can buoy your spirits when life is otherwise too challenging to face alone.
And lastly, develop solid physical support systems. Taking note of all your routine tasks which could be delegated to someone else can help you create more fabulous free time — that necessary breathing space to blossom more deeply into the beautifully empowered woman that you are!
So with that, I launch you into your week… your life… with a plan, priorities in check, a strut to your step, a sparse space, and support out the wazoo. Here’s to seeing you stress-free and fancy-free in the days and weeks to come. Give these gifts to yourself — you deserve it!
