Feeling Stressed Out?

COVID-19, Political Agendas, Country Division, Riots, Economic tolls, Loss…and now.. the holiday season.

Can you say people are STRESSED THE F*&^K OUT!?

Yes, yes we are.

And here is the thing.  We can’t rely on someone else to fix it.  Not the president (no matter who that is).  Not our boss.  Not our significant other.  Not even our therapist or coach (though we can help).

We have to fix it.  You.  Me.  I.

So how do we?

Have you heard that when your smart phone is low on battery, the fastest way to recharge it is to turn it off and then plug it in to charge?  It charges way faster that way.  Instead of it trying to charge while also trying to use GEO tracking, email notifying or power processing- it is just off, recharging.

You are the most powerful smart phone out there.  And you need recharged.  To do that you first have to power off.

• Turn off the social media.
• Turn off the news.
• Turn off the nay sayer’s.
• Turn off the noise.

Once you have powered these things off, let’s recharge.  Don’t try to do these things unless you have first powered off.

Ok ready?  Let’s go!

Stress Reduction Recharge Activities

• Do something tactile.  To get out of our heads, sometimes we have to drop into our senses, specifically our sense of touch.  Pop bubble wrap, create and play with slime (ugh not my favorite by the way), plant some plants or just pull weeds.  You can also crochet, knit or finger paint.  Keep going by tapping into your other senses by asking yourself what can you smell, taste, feel, hear & see right in this moment.
• Fix a problem.  To get your brain out of the stress loop, find a problem in your house that can be solved right now.  For instance, organizing kitchen cabinets.  Or a pantry.  Or a closet.  Going through old clothes and creating a donate pile.  Maybe even a puzzle or word problem game.
• Take a hot & intentional bath.  Run some hot water, drop some epsom salt in (like a lot) – or if you get one of my gift sets, an amazing bath bomb in- and then get in and close your eyes.  With your eyes closed walk through all your body parts and thank them for the work they do each day to keep you functioning and alive while also inviting each area to relax and release.  Start with your toes and work all the way to your hair follicles.
• Try that new recipe.  Yes, we love to stress eat.  But try stress baking.  This gluten free rum cake is THE BOMB.  Or try a new creation from scratch.
• Join a book club.  Reading something fun & light is one of the worlds best distractions.  My favorite genre is romance (well, hard romance..erotic would be a good description).  And I even have a virtual book club with my friend Stef.  We share all the books we are reading and let me tell you- these books will take you to another world and in our monthly meetings we also have a signature COCKtail to go with our book choice (I mean…).  I do also love historical fiction, mystery and a shit ton of just great books.  Join a club to keep you accountable and to connect to other like minded peeps.
• Meditate.  Or breathe.This is an obvious one and overstated to be honest.  However, it is underused.  Spend some time just focusing on your breath and repeating to yourself “I am safe in this moment”  “Everything is ok right in this moment”.  Or allow yourself to be guided.
• Have sex. With or without a partner.   It has been proven scientifically that an orgasm reduces cortisol in our bodies.  Orgasm away guys.  Looking for a way to do it yourself?  Well, this might help.
• Get help.  With a professional therapist or coach.  Everyone needs help at some point in their lives.  And having a different perspective can help us see out of the rut we find ourselves stuck in.
• Attend a virtual event.  There are so many great events offered by incredible organizations and people right now. I have one too, happening this coming up Sunday.
• Distract yourself. Get outside.  Watch a funny movie.  Do some Cognitive Behavioral exercises.

I know many of these things are easier said than done.  In that case grab a friend or accountability partner.  The key is to TURN EVERYTHING OFF first.  Then recharge.

You can do this.  I can help if you need it.

xoxo