Wellness in Stressful Times
What’s usually the first thing to go during stressful times? Answer: we stop taking care of ourselves. We forget our bodies. We clutter our minds. We stop having fun.
Here’s the kicker: what makes us better in the face of challenge is the ability to stay calm, keep perspective and lighten up.
When our battery is well charged, we’re far better problem-solvers. We can give more fully to life, to family, friends and work. It’s not selfish to take care of ourselves, especially when the going gets tough. It’s actually wise. It just takes some prioritizing.
The best news is that you are the best person on the planet to clarify and meet your needs. So go ahead. Rise to the occasion. Below are some of my tools for doing just that.
Relaxed Under Pressure
In her recent New York Times article about what makes the best Olympic athletes, Gina Kolata points out that staying relaxed is crucial to peak performance under pressure. She puts it like this:
“Relaxation. It is a trait that is often underappreciated, coaches and athletic trainers say. Yet it can make the difference between doing your best and not doing well, between feeling dragged down or soaring…An ability to relax while pushing hard, exercise researchers say, is one reason why winners win.”
Lighten Up & Have Fun
Give yourself permission to have fun. Joy breeds more joy, just like negativity breeds negativity. During stressful periods there’s usually not as much time to blow off steam, but try to keep at least a thing or two that you love in your daily ritual.
Simplify
What’s weighing you down? Look at your To Do list. If it’s not helping you feel balanced, make real progress or bringing you joy then take it off the to do list for now.
Be Efficient
All of us have to do things we don’t love (pay bills, put away laundry, clean up messes). With those items make sure you are efficient. Find a schedule or system that allows you to do these tasks with maximum ease. Ask for help. Delegate. Most importantly, realize that no matter what, you can’t do it all. Shrink your To Do list to the critical items. You’ll have more time to do each item well and more free time to do what you love.
Move Your Body
Exercise = stress relief. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that Americans should get about 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week. That doesn’t sound so difficult if we loosen our modern definition of what “exercise” is. A brisk walk, push ups, raking leaves or doing household chores, anything that activates the body works. It doesn’t require a gym. Although I do recommend a good yoga studio. And yes, I am biased.
Quiet Your Mind
In this performance driven country of ours, the mind get a lot of “exercise”. Have you noticed that we have a tendency to stress out? Allow fear and worry to dominate our mental hum? Me too. Try meditation, yoga, tai chi, deep breathing, a bath or a nap. These practices help quiet the mind. When the mind is quiet, creative solutions bubble up without effort. Calm replaces stress. Ease replaces burden.
These wellness tips are simple, low or no cost, effective, healthy ways do well in the face of challenge. I hope they help you. They work for me. It is an art to be well in hard times, but I believe we can do it.
Be well,
Amy
30 Oct 2008
Kane Garrett Fortune
wise words; the fundamentals of life the way it should be lived.
amen sister,
kg
06 Nov 2008
Leslie
Amy, you’re on the money. It’s back to basics and I’m committed to this for a better daily self. :) Well done sista!