We all experience stressors daily. Whether this be stress at work, running late, numerous family activities, or other daily tasks. Anxiety rises amidst all of these stressors which can lead to shifts in cortisol levels, exacerbating these negative feelings.

So let’s stop for a moment. Take a 4-5-6 deep breath. Take a moment, close your eyes, and breathe in slowly for a count of 4, hold for count of 5 and breathe out for count of 6. Try this for 3 minutes or do this in a set of 10, with intention and mindful effort.  Now slowly open your eyes and look around you. How are you feeling? What do you need in this moment? This is one strategy that can be used to manage stress on a day to day basis. Let’s look into a few more stress management strategies.

• Try out some gratitude. If it’s especially hard to come up with something, then think of anything you may be taking for granted. Focus on people, places, or even just something in the moment that you notice around yourself, that you can focus on giving thanks for. The fact that you are taking time to read this means you can engage in stress management techniques, and take care of yourself through daily skills. Give yourself gratitude for this, as it means you are wanting to care for yourself.

• Keep a daily wins journal and review it every Sunday night. Your daily win can be as simple as making the bed so when you walk back in at night into your bedroom, you have an inviting cozy bed to get into. Your daily win can be as big as being offered a job position even in the middle of a global crisis. Celebrate your daily victories and review it weekly and keep this journal to remind you how far you have come.

• Keep your worries in an imaginary worry box; you can make this look any way you choose as you imagine this in your brain. Give yourself 30 minutes allowance to just worry. You can use a notepad and pen or type up any daily stressors in life and then think of possible solutions as well. After the 30 minutes are up put your notebook or list away and give yourself permission to move on with the day or evening. Don’t worry, you have another 30 minutes tomorrow to worry.

• Limit your usage of media and pick up a hobby you’d like to try out. Perhaps reading several books that have been on your list, knitting or crocheting, growing a perfect tomato or in-home herb garden, to perfecting a simple yoga routine at home, aim for something that you would like to try and feels positive to you. These kinds of activities will give your brain and mind a break from the influence of social media and a chance to relax doing something else.

• Take care of the “stress buffers” such as sleeping enough, exercising daily (even just 30 minutes of body movement), staying hydrated, maintaining a healthy balanced diet, taking supplements (if need be after checking with your primary care physician), and keeping up with annual check ups. These are buffers so that as stress happens it feels easier to manage.

• Try some aromatherapy. Use a diffuser in your bedroom and by your work station. Lavender and vanilla can especially be calming. Any scent that you love will work. You can also rub some aromatherapy oil on your wrists and sniff throughout the day as a way to keep calm and relaxed amidst stress.

• Practice positive self affirmations morning and evening. When practiced intentionally and diligently, self affirmations are a powerful and effective tool to manage stress and maintain a sense of positive energy. The app called “I am” is free to download on your phone and is a great source for powerful self affirmations.

 Stress management should be considered part of our daily way of life. In these times, one thing to remember is that change is the only guarantee and being flexible is the best way to manage stress.

For support managing stressors and transitions click here.