My top 3 tips for less stress in your day
Everyone I speak to would like to have less stress in their lives.
The other day I talked with a friend about how stressed she was. I asked her if she had a routine throughout her day. She replied of course I do. I have three kids, work and a house to look after. But that wasn’t really what I meant.
Did she have a routine?
She had a family routine and a list of things to do but is that the same.
No, it's not.
Do you agree that you are the Glue? The glue that holds everyone together. If you fall down, everything falls apart; it's like a domino effect; one by one, the family fails, and work struggles without you. So if you know this, why do you not take control.
We go through our days literally, not taking control of our lives.
So here we go - my top 3 tips.
1. Take Control of YOU.
As soon as you wake up, you need to do something that brings your power to you. Empowers you. I like to do a round of deep breathing, then legs up the wall. It could be going outside and breathing in the fresh air. You could sit and look out the window. Something that gives you 2 minutes to reflect on yourself and empower you.
2. Set 5 alarms on your phone t
That tells you to check in. We need regular check-ins throughout the day. These check-ins are so important. They give you a chance to see where your energy is at. If energy is low, slow down a little. Could you check in on your breathing? If you are chest breathing a lot, slow it down, do some deep breaths and reset. This will allow you to be in your body and give you energy. The check-ins also give you back time. When the alarm goes, you will check in on how productive you have been. If you are once again on Facebook as the alarm goes, maybe that’s not the best use of your time.
3. Have a strict Night-time Ritual.
A night ritual literally will improve your day. You will be less reactive and less stressed, increasing your energy. I am huge on rituals. It’s literally how I run my day, and I have done it for 35 years. Rituals are different to habits. A ritual is a repeated sequence of behaviour. The goal of the ritual is to make the behaviour intentional and enjoyable. We often make habits because we don't like how we are. E.g. sticking to a diet for the result of losing weight; habits are usually not voluntary. They have an agenda to get something from it. An evening ritual slows everything down. Our brain is wired for rituals, and we thrive on them. It slows everything down and allows us to be in the body.
Conclusion
Some people have become addicted to the way stress feels in the body. If you are under pressure most of the time because of your job, your body gets used to living in the Adrenal Vortex. Your adrenals are always activated. The body continually goes into fight or flight, releasing cortisol, which has become a constant that you are not even aware of as it feels like a natural state.
When you start to change this and become grounded, more time in your body, more awareness, the transition can feel uncomfortable and strange.
This is where yoga can bridge the gap. A 10-minute practise where you move your body with your breath dissolves the cortisol, and the movement eases the mind into a more stable approach to slowing things down.
