Stress and Anxiety | Coping Strategies

Stress And Anxiety

 

So, on this post I am going to discuss stress and anxiety and some coping stratergies I have found helpful. Stress and anxiety completely drives me crazy and is something many people will be experiencing in these challenging current times.

Personally stress and anxiety for me has definitely resurfaced at times recently. My first memory with stress and anxiety was during my first pregnancy.

Anxiety Attacks

 

After a few anxiety attacks that progressively got worse and several visits with a very supportive Gp, I discovered that my stress and anxiety was and still is a responsive anxiety brought on by pressures and worries by or for other people.

For example, during my first pregnancy I was super stressing about the circumstances as I was bringing my baby into a lone parent family.

The thought of letting her down was completely over whelming and over time I learnt the importance of finding the right coping strategies for me.

 

Coping Stratergies

 

Over the years, I have experienced many different symptoms of anxiety, such as numbness in one side of my face.

And each time I have self taught myself new coping strategies a new one pops along.

It’s a clever energy anxiety as overtime I overcome one symptom and it’s almost as if it fights back at me with the new one.

These days I have a few coping strategies I use if I feel my anxiety levels are creeping in.

I thought I would share some that have worked well for me especially while social distancing.

Of course not all coping strategies are for everyone but, as I have learnt it’s what ever is practically possible and a matter of trial and error.

 

Aromatherapy

 

As I have mentioned before I have recently discovered the powers of plant based oils for medicinal purposes to improve the health of body, mind and spirit.

The oil I am using right now is the Salute oil from Yoghanda oils.

I apply the oils to my wrists, neck and on my temples at any time of the day and night. I even apply it to my face mask.

The oils have helped me in reducing my anxiety, calming my mindset easing tension and promoting uplifting feelings.

 

 

Manifesting

 

I have recently been practicing manifesting and for me it has helped me to focus my mind in many ways.

You can manifest to deal with anything that will improve your well being.

For my first experience I aimed to Manifest a restful nights sleep. Considering I have been experiencing 8 years of sleep deprivation it was a no brainer.

And, for me it has truly worked.

Move your body

 

The most important thing is to find a workout style that you actually enjoy doing or can access.

I won’t go on about exercise as we all know we should move more but I do try and slip in any type of movement at the less obvious times of day.

It can be as simple as pushing the buggy at a faster pace, running up and down the stairs if you’re able to  or if not do some arm stretches or use some light dumbbells whilst sitting.

And of course going on daily walks with your family/children or a walk on your own if you get the chance to clear your mind. Also, gardening outside, rolling out a yoga mat, using YouTube videos, swimming, visiting the gym or a dance session with kids in the living room.

When I make the effort to exercise I always feel the benefits.

 

 

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Hydration

 

I am massively into herbal teas. During a real bad day of anxiety that I was having problems managing I grabbed my phone desperately looking for a miracle.

I read somewhere that herbal teas can help so Sean popped to the shop on his way home from work and brought me back a box of pukka herbal teas.

I have one to two cups usually at midday day and at bedtime.

All their teas are made with ingredients beneficial for our health such as,’Holy basil’ also known as tulsi.

Tulsi is a herb with a particular affinity for the brain and mood. It’s said to stimulate circulation to the brain to improve concentration and help clear brain fog. It also has a calming effect on the nerves and acts as an adaptogen – a herb that helps us cope with and adapt to stress.’

These different actions can combine well to help lift our mood, particularly when stress or anxiety are involved.

 

Breathe yourself calm

 

This is a big help for me and at the moment I’m using the 4-7-8 breathing technique. It involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7 seconds and exhaling for 8 seconds.

This has got me out of some of the biggest anxiety episodes I have experienced recently.

Dr. Andrew Weil a celebrity doctor and the founder and director of the University of Arizona centre for Integrative Medicine, teaches the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which he believes can help with the following:

• reducing anxiety
• helping a person get to sleep
• managing cravings
• controlling or reducing anger responses

 

How to do it

Before starting the breathing pattern, adopt a comfortable sitting position and place the tip of the tongue on the tissue right behind the top front teeth.

To use the 4-7-8 technique, focus on the following breathing pattern:

• empty the lungs of air
• breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds
• hold the breath for a count of 7 seconds
• exhale forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips and making a “whoosh” sound, for 8 seconds
• repeat the cycle up to 4 times

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Declutter

 

Admittedly I don’t always get enough time to declutter as much as I would like. In a perfect world I would be on top of everything and my house would be instagram ready 24 hours a day.

Of course thats just not the real world for most of us is it? However, even if I declutter one aspect in my busy schedule I reap the benefits instantly.

It could be organising a to do list, tidying a couple of drawers or cupboards. I always benefit from creating a sense of calm.

A less cluttered mind or space makes me feel so much lighter.

 

I hope you may have found some of these tips helpful as we attempt to navigate our way through these challenging times. Life is hard enough without all these added pressures, but I do believe if we take one day at a time and spare a little time on being mindful of our own self care needs we can find solutions to our anxiety issues.

 

Lots of love,

Dana xx