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When you are busy working and juggling other priorities, you may have days that feel like they will never end. Long days dominated by work, school, and overall responsibilities can be emotionally and physically tiring. Too many long days can leave you feeling stressed, anxious, and even depressed. However, it is crucial to understand that much of the things that stress you are often beyond your control. Fortunately, you can control how you take care of yourself and decompress to maintain your mental and physical health.
Deep Breathing
Whenever you are beginning to feel oncoming stress or anxiety from an overwhelming situation, taking a minute or two to stop and breathe can help you relax, reset your focus, and regulate proper breathing. Breathing is vital to our overall relaxation because when we become stressed, we tend to take shorter shallower breaths, which can incite an anxious response. Regulating your breathing helps ease anxiety and promote better blood flow, which also helps focus. When you feel stressed, take a minute to inhale deeply, allowing your lungs to expand, then exhale slowly, allowing them to fall. Repeat eight to ten times, or until you feel your nerves begin to calm.
Take a Walk
Stopping what you are working on to take a five or ten-minute walk – even if only around your work building helps shift your focus away from stressful thoughts. It also can help regulate better breathing and circulation. Planning small breaks to get up and walk in your day not only helps to alleviate stress but shifts your focus so you can come back to whatever you're working on with more clarity.
Exercise
Exercise is essential in any regimen. Exercising for 20 minutes or more just three to four times weekly not only benefits long-term mental and physical health but helps you process and think through the negative thoughts and energies that present themselves due to your stress. Getting exercise in your day doesn’t have to be extensive either - it can be as simple as taking a 20-minute walk around your neighborhood. Exercise also promotes better rest, so try to find time to get some in so you're not carrying around unwanted negative energy.
Go Outside
Sitting in the fresh air and connecting with nature can be very calming. Even if you live in a city, hanging plants in your outdoor space can create the same benefits as in a remote destination. The daylight also helps create dopamine, which helps to promote feelings of a happy and relaxed state. During the winter months, adequate amounts of dopamine help regulate your circadian rhythm and defend against Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Meditate
Meditation in the morning, before bed, or in the afternoon helps you turn your pressure valve off and release the tension that builds up inside. These sessions could be short or long, depending on how you feel. Meditation also helps you create a quiet relaxing space where you can sort through your thoughts from a comfortable and relaxed perspective. It allows you to accept thoughts as they come and dismiss them just as fast as they come, much like cars passing you by on the highway. Such a practice can help you free your mind and focus on what matters most to you.
Reading
Taking time to get comfortable and read can be a great way to get your mind away from your stresses. Reading before bed is also a great way to help you relax so that you have a restful night of sleep instead of watching your phone or TV, which can interfere with your sleep cycle.
Disconnect
Taking time out of each day to unplug and detach from the news and updates from friends and family can help you relax. If you find that being online at certain times of the day triggers your stress, use this time to brew coffee or tea or work on a hobby. Sometimes you need to unplug for a little while.
Take a Day For Yourself
It’s okay to be selfish and take a day for yourself, especially if you manage a work from home schedule. Sometimes it can be too easy to burn yourself out because your work is always with you. However, planning a schedule where you intentionally take days to focus on self-care, including pursuing hobbies, can give you something to look forward to in the week and help you return to work other responsibilities fresh and motivated.
It is crucial in recovery and life to understand your stresses and triggers. Try to be mindful not to take on too much to overexert yourself. Once you can identify these traits within yourself, you can then treat them. However, if you are feeling stressed and anxious, and it is beginning to interfere with your life, it may be time to seek help from a professional. At START UP Recovery, we offer a staff of professionals determined to help you regain balance and motivation in your life. Whether it is mental fatigue or addiction, START UP Recovery provides all the amenities and opportunities needed to support your success. We believe that it takes transformation to sustain long-term success. With 24/7 admissions, there is never a wrong time to reach out. Remember, your health and recovery comes first, so never wait to get help. To learn more, reach out to us at START UP Recovery at (310) 773-3809. Start your journey to transformation today.