Life can feel really exhausting at times, especially when you have a seemingly never ending to do list. Work commitments, parenting commitments, house duties, errands, school runs, I could go on and on. Most of us experience or are functioning in a high stressed state due to the fact we have so many things going on all at once. If you are anything like me, you are stressed most days. Don’t get me wrong a little stress is ok, but if you are constantly running in a high stressed state, it can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems such as, depression, anxiety, cause skin and hair problems as well as obesity and other eating disorders to name a few. Did you know that around 33% of people report feeling extreme stress? 77% of people experience stress that affects their physical health. 73% of people have stress that impacts their mental health and 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress? Those statistics are scarily high, so it really is important to take some well-deserved time out, even if it is just for 5 – 10 minutes at a time.
Stress used to catch me out most days, but mainly started first thing in the morning. I’ll be completely honest, I’m really not a morning person especially if I haven’t had enough sleep the night before, so due to the lack of sleep, I was instantly in an irritable mood which is not a great way to start the day.
I very quickly began to notice that my mood was starting to affect my family. I was stressed, grumpy, short tempered and irritable towards the kids and my husband. Not only was that unfair on them but the negative energy that I was projecting started to have an effect on their wellbeing and as such began to make them feel the same way. I decided I really needed to change the way I was feeling, not just for myself but for the sake of my family.
How did I change my behaviour? Well, I started to do a lot of research on different de-stressing techniques, quick fix ideas, meditation, nutrition, how to change your mindset and exercise. I tried a lot of different ideas that people had suggested, some of them really worked for me and fitted in around my lifestyle, and some really didn’t. The one thing you do need to bear in mind is that one size doesn’t fit all, and your circumstances and lifestyle will play a big part of what will work for you.
Here are my findings along with the techniques that work well for me. They take little to no time and because I’ve incorporated it into my routine throughout the day it has become second nature.
Affirmations – give your mind some love
Please bear with me on this one. I know affirmations to some can sound a bit airy fairy, but if you are open to try, I really do believe you will reap the benefits. I used to wake up every morning with a negative mindset. As soon as my eyes were open, my initial thoughts were; I’m tired, the weather’s rubbish, I really don’t feel like it today, I can’t be bothered, it’s going to be a stressful day, I just want to go back to sleep. These are all incredibly negative thoughts so no wonder it was having a huge impact on my stress. If I’m thinking all these negative thoughts and telling myself all of these negative things, then this is how my day is most likely to go. So now when I wake up, I make a conscious effort to tell myself 3 positive affirmations such as; It’s going to be a great and productive day, I’m not going to let things get to me today, I’m really lucky to be here and to have a happy healthy family. When those negative thoughts do pop into my head during the day, I instantly flip them around and turn them into a positive. It’s a quick and small thing to do, but it really does make a huge impact. If you are in a happy frame of mind, you will have a happy day.
A good breakfast to start the day
Starting your day off with a well-balanced breakfast is so important and it really doesn’t need to be time consuming either. Your body needs fuel to be able to function properly. If you are skipping breakfast or just grab yourself a breakfast bar or a coffee on the way out of the door, you’re not giving your body the nutrients or fuel that it needs. I used to be terrible. I’d either skip breakfast altogether because I didn’t have the time or couldn’t be bothered, or I’d grab myself a coffee and a chocolate bar. I hadn’t realised what a huge effect it was having on me, not just my body but also my mood! Being hangry is not good for anybody.
So, to resolve this issue I have come up with a healthy and nutritious breakfast that will take you 6 minutes to make, yes you heard me correctly, just 6 minutes!
Here’s my breakfast breakdown:
- Boil the kettle.
- Once boiled add the hot water to the saucepan and add your eggs. (boil for 5.5 minutes).
- Toast in the toaster (maximum time 3 minutes).
- Peel and cut half an avocado.
- Chop up a handful of cherry tomatoes.
- Butter the toast.
- Put the avocado and tomatoes on the buttered bread.
- Remove eggs from the saucepan, peel and add on top of the avocado and tomatoes.
- Enjoy!
See, not only is that incredibly quick and easy to do, it’s also a healthy and delicious balanced breakfast. Give it a go, you won’t regret it and trust me you’ll feel so much better for doing it. So please, take the time out to look after yourself, your body will thank you for it.
And breathe…
Hands up if this is you… Do you go and remove yourself from a situation before you explode at least a handful of times during the day? This can be due to a piece of work that’s not going the way you want it to, the kids constantly fighting and not listening, or your other half has come out with a comment which unless you leave the room quickly you will say something that you might later regret? Whatever the cause is, deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply, it sends a signal to your brain to calm down and relax. When you are stressed, it can increase your heart rate, you start to breathe quickly, and it can also cause high blood pressure. This all decreases as you breathe deeply. My stress tends to build up really quickly. I tend not to react for a while and then I suddenly explode which isn’t good for my body and it’s really unfair on my family when my outburst is suddenly directed towards them. So now when I feel that frustration, I take myself away from the situation, sit down and do the breathing technique. Even if you only manage 5 minutes, trust me it really helps!
How to use the deep breathing technique:
- Sit or lie somewhere that you are comfortable.
- Relax your shoulders and body.
- Breathe in through your nose for about two seconds.
- Purse your lips and exhale slowly for about two seconds.
- Repeat for as long as you like or have time for.
This technique works so well, it’s incredible easy and quick to do and trust me you will feel instantly better.
Music to my ears
For me personally, music is one of my favourite stress relieving techniques. Research has shown that listening to music can have an effect on anxiety, blood pressure, and stress hormones. Certain music can reduce those symptoms, the most common being classical music and calm meditation music. I’m personally not a classical music lover, I’m more of an 80’s girl at heart but depending on how I’m feeling at that particular moment, it will determine the music I listen to. When I am having to balance working and looking after the kids, I frequently pop on my headphones and play music that makes me happy. This does 2 things. One, it allows me to focus on one thing at a time and the second being it instantly puts me in a happy and calm place. So, if you are ever in need of a quick escape or desperately need to get that piece of work done, this technique really allows you to focus and de-stress at the same time. Give it go!
Take a walk on the wild side
Ok, so my last tip for quick and easy de-stressing techniques is simply getting outside and going for a walk. I often go out for a walk first thing in the morning, the reason being is that it instantly puts me in a good frame of mind for the day. I don’t tend to go for really long walks it’s usually around 20 minutes, if you can manage more then that’s great, but if you can only manage 10 minutes every now and then it will equally benefit you both physically and mentally. Research has shown that when you get out for a walk it helps with your energy, focus, and optimism. Plus, you’re more likely eat healthy and say active throughout the day which is always a bonus. I’d say that’s a win win!
So, what are you waiting for? Give them a try and see what works best for you. Good Luck.
Olivia
