Today I'd love to share with you some of my favourite stress reducing tips.
So while you are on your fabulous de-stress herbs and taking your magnesium and activated B vitamins (practitioner high quality of course, book with me to get yours!) this is the time to make some changes in your lifestyle to reduce stress in a sustainable way...just a vitamin by itself won't cut it!
There is something out there for everyone and what I've learnt is you sometimes have to try a variety of things to find what works for you! So don't give up.
Tip 1
I love this quote from a naturopathic mentor of mine:
"The state you put yourself in is what needs to change in order to give you the motivation to actually take action on the strategies you learn."
You get to choose how you feel; if you are feeling stressed and grumpy...take a minute to do some deep breathing and smile (yes fake it to you make it) and it can help to change your state to where you can function and take action.
Tip 2
Following on from the previous tip; choosing your own emotions...have you tried Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)? Otherwise known as Tapping...it works on tapping on certain meridian points on the hand and face and while focusing on negative emotions or physical sensations that help to calm the nervous system and restore the body's balance.
For info check out The Tapping Solution
or I like to follow along with Brad Yates in his You Tube videos here
This is also a great tool for children!
Tip 3
Have you heard of decision fatigue or decision debt? Where you use up valuable energy by not making a decision about something, flipping back and forth. Being undecided can be incredibly stressful and often we cause this dis-stress to ourselves when the outcome of either decision isn't even life threatening!
Make the decision, plan ahead of time when you can EG: meal planning can take away alot of decision fatigue. Look out for my meal plans coming soon!
Also called "closing loops"...if you have lots of "open loops" you can often switch back and forth between jobs or projects and in the end not get any of it completed, which leaves you feeling exhausted and beating yourself up...so choose a task, stick to it and finish it and you'll be "closing loops" all over the place and feeling fantastic!
Tip 4
Often we busy Mum's (and Dad's) get stuck in a cycle of doing everything ourselves, we don't ask for help and then it all becomes too hard and the wheels fall off.
I challenge you Mums...to
- Ask for help
- Foster self discipline
- Create a self-challenge that makes it fun!
For example: I was recently beating myself up about not getting up early enough to do my yoga or meditation in the morning before my son gets up and creates chaos.
So I asked for help...I asked my hubbie to flick the bedroom light on at 5.30am when he's leaving for work.
To foster self discipline I made it a fun challenge = 30 days of getting up at 5.30am and I can reward myself with a yoga retreat if I do it.
Another awesome idea I've read about here is the Urge Jar...where you reward yourself a glass bead in a jar every time to resist an urge, the simple act of filling up your jar every time you resist an urge gives the brain a reward...you just be with the urge until it dissipates, you don't react to it, you acknowledge it and then it will dissipate faster and faster each time. (great one if you are trying to lose weight)
Tip 5
Yes....you knew it was coming...Mindfulness or Meditation!
Serious game changer!
But it doesn't have to be sitting cross legged at an altar with incense burning (in fact definitely no incense please!! doTERRA essential oils only! especially Frankincense) anyway I digress.
It is helpful to have stillness but many people find stillness in movement...that's why yoga, walking or running can be quite meditative. In fact walking and running are great because you have the side benefit of endorphins being released and the cross-crawl action which is great for the brain and stress release.
But try a number of awesome apps such as Calm, Headspace and Insight Timer and if you wan to do a course I've been recommended this one called MindfulnessWorks
Bonus Tip
Get a massage!! Seriously the best stress reliever I know! Book a massage or a naturopathic consult with me here
Hugs, health & happiness,
Jane
