Is the New Normal Still Feeling Abnormal?
Persistent feelings of stress and anxiety don’t have to be your reality.
There is so much pressure on everyone’s shoulders these days, and it seems to keep piling up higher and higher, becoming heavier, and heavier. I’m sure it speaks to the resilience of us all that we can keep soldiering through, but what if I told you that you don’t have to?
In the same way that over time, small triggers in your life may have compounded into larger feelings of stress and anxiety, you can flip the script and use the power of compounding results to bring power to stress busting actions.
Try the below to work on reducing feelings of stress and anxiety in your day to day.
Breathing techniques
Morning: When you wake in the morning step out of bed raise your arms high breathe in, bend from the waist and breath out letting your arms dangle. Slowly roll up your spine breathing in and at the top raise your shoulders let them go quite quickly and breath out slowly.
Evening: 4 7 8 method - at the end of the day when work is finished or before bed sit quietly for a minute breath in slowly through your nose to the count of 4 hold for 7 seconds then breathe out through your mouth to the count of 8. Repeat 2 more times
Try a mantra or phrase
A phrase to short circuit a negative thought pattern such as “all is fine all is okay.’’ Take a moment take a breath in and say your phrase as you breathe out.
Something to help with sleep
Listen to gentle music on YouTube or there are plenty of specific sleep meditative apps around like Headspace.
Connect with nature
Put your bare feet on a patch of grass for 5 and breathe! Or in the middle of the day take 10 and walk around the block noticing the buildings, the flowers, the birds replacing those rushing “what I need to do” thoughts as they come into your mind.
I hope the above has given you some ideas on how you can work on reducing your stress and anxiety levels this coming week.
TIP: If you know that you are someone who will struggle to stay consistent with these actions, I’d suggest setting an alarm on your phone to kick start building the habit. Give yourself the best shot at success for 7 days and then reflect on how you’re feeling now compared to previously. Bear in mind there may be only a small shift in one week, so if you are seeing results, stick with it and let the power of time compound your results for you.
If reducing your stress and anxiety levels is something you’d like to focus more deeply on, I’m accepting appointments for one-on-one coaching in 2022 now and you can find out more about that here.
Warmly,
Allison
