“It’s not stress that kill us, it’s our reaction to it.”- Hans Selye

 

Though I mostly share positive, good times, boy am I stressed! There is a lot going on in my life right now that I chose not to share on social media. Big stressors and little stressors that seem to make my mind explode from time to time. We are all struggling with some sort of conflict, and if you have absolutely no worries- you are one lucky person.

Life is short- we have to remember this. It is a BLESSING. We are all meant to be here. I am firm believer in the well-known quote “everything happens for a reason.” Often, we get wrapped up in the daily stressors, smaller problems that overwhelm us in times of stress. Then, we snowball it all together into a stressful life. Suddenly, every conflict becomes a major conflict and we are upset over everything. Studies have shown that stress can lead to a variety of health complications, and we need to get this stress level under control.

There are defintiely big stressors in life such as health, family relationships, and more. These can be entirely out of our control and these unfortunate circumstances are difficult to manage. In my opinion, we often stress about things that in the grand scheme of things, may not matter much- work, school, friend drama, car trouble, etc. Here are some ways to deal with small stressors- large stressors may require seeking medical advice, meeting with a therapist, etc.

3 Tips for Stress Relief:

1. 10 deep breathes. Take them right now. In and out. Relax. Just breathe. Now, think of 10 things you are grateful for. Write them down and say them aloud.
2. Stress Chart- Make a chart with your stressors & how you can resolve them
   1. Stressor:
   2.  How can I resolve this? What can I do to manage this? Do I need a change?
      1. Stressor 2:
      2.  How can I resolve this? What can I do to manage this? Do I need a change?
         1. Stressor 3:
         2.  How can I resolve this? What can I do to manage this? Do I need a change?
3. Now that you have listed all of your stressors and what you can do to manage them. Take action. Set a timeline. Plan. Use your time wisely. Time is money, time is life, and time is short.  Time management is a great skill to learn to help manage your stressors. Take time for yourself to resolve these stressors. Relax. It is going to be okay.

For those of you suffering from stress, I wanted to share some tips on how to handle stress, how to see the good, and how to make changes to counteract this stress. These tips work for me and may/may not work for you. Think about how many times you have been stressed- do you remember them all? No. You made it through the stress before, and you can do it again!

One point I want to leave you with is this- Life is short. It is not promised. It is not certain. It can come and go any minute. Stress is a part of life. How we react to it is very important. When struggling with stress, think about the big picture. You are alive. You are here. You are capable of great things. When I feel down, I remember this. I remember that this is just one part of my journey.