Stressed? Me Too.
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| For me, being near the ocean is an instant de-stressor. |
Since I'm still trying out a few new supplements for a future post, I decided to write this week about a pretty common and reoccurring feeling: stress. I feel like a bit of a hypocrite writing a whole post about being stressed since it seems to be my typical response to "How are you?" Full disclosure: Writing to the world about stress actually made me feel a bit stressed. Again, I'm not a licensed health professional of any sort, I'm just writing what I know and what I'm still learning in the hopes that it might help others. I'll honestly probably end up consulting my own post when I'm having a tough day in the future.
As a teacher with a very packed schedule, it was intimidating for me to learn how to take time off for myself, especially when I needed it. Even summer vacation can feel like a curse when you have too much free time after having relatively no free time. Plus, Hashimotos disease is known to cause anxiety or even depression. (Information about this side effect is found on practically every single website about this super fun thyroid disease.) Working in a tough profession and having this disease is only one side of the coin. I'm not even factoring in the regular stresses of everyday life involving a social calendar and the general mishmash of whatever is inside my brain. I often have to take a step back when I'm feeling anxious or when I think my fluctuating thyroid levels could be getting the best of me by remembering how to de-stress. I'm not talking about taking a spontaneous vacation, whenever I have heart palpitations (although that would be wonderful, despite it being financially irresponsible). Instead, I worked on finding techniques that worked for me, the same way you might need to find ways that will work for you.
Written below are just a few things that have helped me in the past to allay my anxiety, pull me out of a funk or just brighten a bad day.
HashiGlutenFreeLife Ways to Help Relieve Stress/Anxiety
Color: My friends bought me a bunch of coloring books after my surgery. You honestly can't go wrong with pulling out a coloring book and coloring a few pages like you did in elementary school. Crayons, colored pencils, markers, whatever your preferred writing instrument is, just take it out and color! It's a great after-work activity to clear your mind and focus on something bright and relaxing. You honestly cannot go wrong with ordering/picking up ANY coloring book. They have just about every theme and can be as intricate or simple as you like. They even have Game of Thrones and Harry Potter themed books that are absolutely stunning. (I'm personally a fan of Disney coloring books because I had a million as a kid.) If you are looking for a specialty coloring book, check out Amazon.com or Michaels.com for some great options.
Walk: Anywhere. Take a walk around your neighborhood or around your house. Leave work during your lunch break and walk a block away just to get out of your environment a little. Please be aware of your surroundings while taking your stress out on the floor/pavement, because you don't want to accidentally break a lamp (or a person!) Something as simple as taking a walk is an underrated and excellent way to work through some anxiety.
Eat Dark Chocolate: Besides the health benefits, (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/well/why-chocolate-may-be-good-for-the-heart.html) it's delicious. A piece of dark chocolate on a crappy day is a fun and not terribly unhealthy way to indulge your sweet tooth and give yourself a little treat. (Psst: No one will judge you if you splurge by picking up some milk chocolate instead, if that's more your thing!)
Make a Phone Call: Call your family or your friends. Use the voice recorder application on your phone and just ramble away. Talking through your feelings is an incredibly cathartic way of getting something out of your system and the conversation might lead to advice, a breakthrough or a much needed laugh to remind you that you WILL be okay.
Write in a Journal: Write it out. Just use the stream of consciousness technique and fill out a notebook that's yours and yours alone with all of your thoughts. Don't worry about who will read it or what to do with it. Write it down, so the thoughts can sit somewhere else besides your brain. If this technique works for you, maybe turn it into a hobby and try to write at the end of each day!
Make Lists: This might be my #1 go to thing to do when I'm feeling overwhelmed. I grab a pad of paper or open the notes section of my phone and jot it all down. Every little thing I need to get done gets added to the list. If you want to take this to the next level, color code when you want each item of your list completed. Ex: Pink for today, blue for Tuesday, whatever. But: Be kind to yourself. If you don't get to finish all of the items on your list that day, just try to make time to complete those items the next day. All of your errands will get done because there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of crossing something off of a list. Get your "things to do" list written down and out of your swirling mind.
Update Your Calendar: This goes along with making lists. If you know you have roughly 110 major events coming up in the future, add them to your phone calendar, print out a monthly calendar, or run and pick up a planner with a calendar. Just use and update a calendar. I personally need to see things down on paper to fully understand what I'm up against in the weeks to come. Don't underestimate using this simple trick as a visual tool to keep yourself organized.
Meditate/Take a Yoga Class: Taking a yoga class/meditating really is as calming as you've heard it is from all of your other friends who have tried it. You can do both activities in your own house or at a studio. There are TONS of classes, apps, YouTube videos, even gifs (like http://www.duffthepsych.com/stopanxiety/) to help you regulate your breathing to calm down. Don't be afraid to try a few of them until you find one you like!
Doodle: Just draw. Nonstop. Anything. Cartoons, hearts, swirls. Get your frustration out by covering a plain piece of paper with whatever you want via nonsensical sketches.
Listen to Music: I drive to work and drive home while listening to music. It de-clutters my mind, keeps me sane and is the absolute best way for me to get out of a funk. I don't think people realize how influential music is and how quickly it can alter someone's mood. Put on something you like now, something you liked as a teen, or find a new favorite song by flipping through stations on the radio and just sing along.
Watch a Funny TV Show / Movie: Sometimes you can't rely on flipping through channels to make you feel better, and you need to go with an old standby. What movie or show will cheer you up and take you out of reality for a few hours until you can approach life again with a clearer mind? Put it on and laugh!
Read a Book: I'm an English teacher and a huge book nerd, so I can't adequately express how important reading is in one bullet point of one blog post. Take time to find an author/genre/series/interest and throw yourself into a whole new world while sitting on your own couch. You won't regret it.
Take a Drive: This doesn't need to be a full on road trip. Maybe you just need a quiet trip to the beach or drive around your town for twenty minutes. Just make sure you are emotionally okay to drive before you get behind the wheel.
Sing in a Car: This. Is. Everything. You can sing when you are happy OR stressed. Find some cranky music and crank it up. Sing as loud as you want and try to hit every note, even if you can't. Or do what I do: Try to memorize every lyric of a song you love. I'm a huge Hamilton fan, so I worked on nailing the rap parts of Satisfied for WEEKS during a crazy time at work. (Note: I'm awesome.) Pro move: Find a friend and sing together while driving (safely) anywhere.
Unplug: Maybe let some people know first, (bring back the BRB/BBL from instant messaging days!) but then put your cell away. Maybe group texts are blowing up your phone or the news updates from apps are becoming just too much for you to read. Take some time away from it, let the texts sit and come back to your phone later.
Clean / Reorganize: Change something, anything. The sense of accomplishment that you will feel from fixing up a physical part of your life is huge. Even if you just clean out your bag, your fridge, or a single drawer in your closet, you will get a wonderful sense of relief that you completed something productive WHILE stressed.
Create a Routine: Maybe things are moving too slowly for you. Maybe you have some rare extra time and the endless possibilities are psychologically too much for you to figure out what to actually do with it. Create a schedule of things you want to do and when you want to actually do them. Having a routine can add back some stability that you might need when you're feeling overwhelmed with options.
Bake/Cook: Be creative here and don't do this if it's not something you enjoy. I do NOT like to cook, but baking is something I don't do enough and I just love it. If I have some spare time, I'll look up a fun recipe and head to the store to pick up the ingredients. Don't forget to share the love here! Make enough for everyone to enjoy! (Or save it all for you and hide the yummy evidence!)
Go on Pinterest and find a mantra or inspirational quote: This seems silly and takes anywhere between two minutes to two hours (if you find yourself in a Pinterest wormhole) to complete. Do a quick search and find words that speak to you. Post it somewhere or just save it to your phone. Use it to push you through a tough time or just to remind you that things will be okay.
Finally, read this article when you are over thinking and bookmark it. My best friend sent it to me after a tough day and it really helped. It's funny, relatable and reminds you that you aren't alone. Check it out: http://jezebel.com/just-give-
Talk soon!
-KB
You're so wise.
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