Stress Less

Last Sunday, which was Boxing Day- the day after Christmas, I happened to read in the paper about a UK study at Essex University of which its research shows that spending 5 minutes just looking at foliage can relieve stress. That exposure to nature can alleviate depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure and improve health and self esteem. A short stroll, or just giving your self 5 minutes in a green space can do this.

I can totally relate to this. I quite often stare at the leaves rustling in the breeze on one of the trees in our yard when I need to get into the now, and help to move my mind away from something that is worrying me. A little like watching rolling waves or flickering flames I guess.

It was amusing to read the article on this particular Boxing Day, as our whole Christmas period has been a deluge of persistent rain. So of course there have been periods of “cabin-fever” in our home, with us all being indoors for long interludes. Thankfully the weather is still warm enough, and kids love to swim in the rain, so we are not completely on ‘lock in”. Though when the noise level has hit an all time high, because little people’s level of excitement on Christmas day really does hit the all time high, I have found myself staring at the palm trees that surround our home, deliciously dripping with rain, looking a stunningly vivid green and freshly washed.

So what are some other tried and true ways to “Stress Less” I started to wonder?

Number One would have to be Breathing.
Breathing clears the head, calms the nerves and relaxes the muscles.
I have previously written a Blog on Breathing, it’s virtues and some techniques in “Don’t Forget To Breathe” July 2009

Unplug.
I find that when our household stress levels reach a peak, I can usually count on finding the TV, a computer or two, and even an electronic game all on around our home, blaring away to some or none, adding to the noise.
Turning them all off, making every one unplug, chill out, find something to do, read a book, go for a walk, chat or play together…it always seems to work.
It remarkably ends bickering between my two children almost instantly.

When feeling stressed, it is because we find ourselves Unbalanced.
All our energies are going to one area of our lives in particular, be it work, home, or something else entirely. When we are unbalanced, we are “stretched” beyond our comfort. Find more balance for yourself; don’t spend your time at home thinking about work, or visa versa.
Do not let one area take over your life!
Spread yourself evenly to avoid the ‘stretch’.
When feeling overwhelmed with particular workloads, allocate time frames to achieve what you need to do.
I have been working for most of this past year on two films, and my house is badly in need of a long over due Spring Clean. Instead of stressing out about this at this particularly busy time of Christmas, I have given myself a goal of when to get it done by…which happens to be February, as I also have a lot of study to catch up on in January, and again, instead of stressing my self out about that, I am prioritising what needs to be caught up on first- Study, then the Big Clean up.
Don’t add to your stress, by thinking about tasks ahead of you, just concentrate on the one at hand.
And for me and my family, that is too enjoy the Christmas and New Year Break together, in a relaxed way after a busy year.

Ground Yourself. There are many ways to do this. One very popular way is by getting into nature, pretty much what the above-mentioned study is about. Walking barefoot on the sand or grass, sitting on a rock, lying on your lawn, or under a tree, sifting soil or sand through your hand, gardening…staring at a tree.
Some prefer to gain their grounding through water, dipping their feet into a creek, or walking along the beach, and best of all, easy and well worth it, running a warm bath, adding Epsom salts and soaking for 20 mins.
Whether it is a calming drumbeat, being in nature or just breathing, practice techniques that you can use to ground yourself.
Look it up, research it, practice some find something that works for you and that you like, then remember it as your special grounding technique for when you recognize you feel stressed, and put it to use.
You may be thinking; but hey- I don’t live next to the ocean, a creek, a park or even have immediate access to any of this, and what if I’m at work, or in the car? You can still use memories and visualizations of these experiences, and you can have a pot plant in most all places…except probably the car! I have a beautiful Peace Lily at the moment, which I take great joy in tending, though I’m not particularly a gardener type. My husband’s Mother told me about a time she had a panic attack on a plane, which was very unusual for her, but due to the stress off being at an unfamiliar and large international airport and also running late; as she sat down it just happened. She visualized about how she would be home soon and walking her dog on the beach, and the focusing on these calming and pleasant thoughts got her through the stress she was feeling intensely in that moment.

The Basic Self Care Rules really apply to times when you are stressed.
Make sure you are eating well, drinking water, taking walks, listening to music and getting enough sleep.
Fairly basic, and very true.
If we are lacking in these basic areas, we tend to hit our stressed out levels quite quickly and easily.

Eliminate your worries, work on ways you can deal with them.
Think about what your top 5 list of worries that cause you stress are; e.g. Finances, Weight, Work, Family.
Deal with one topic on your list for at least a week (more if it needs).
Think it through, think of ways you could make it less stressful.
Is there something you could do to make the situation improve?
Is it something that you could think through further and learn to accept?
Is there someone you could discuss it with?
Are there actions you can take to help you with the stress the issue causes?
Are there actions that will eliminate this as an issue?

Practice Optimistic and Positive thoughts.
Thoughts are powerful; they can affect your attitude and your situation. They can alleviate your stress, or at least lower the levels.

So next time you feel stressed out, spend 5 minutes with a tree, take a deep breath, press your fingers into the ground, afterwards, give over to your more positive thoughts, and let yourself find the ways to overcome your stress naturally.

And continue on with your un-stressed beautiful life

suzy x