Rushing out the door to catch the ferry to get to work. Rushing to catch the shuttle to get to work. Downing two or three coffees each morning to “get going”. Back to back meetings that I ran. Eating lunch at my desk while trying to catch up on news. More meetings and follow up from those meetings. Running to catch the shuttle to catch the ferry back home. Get the dog walked. Make dinner. Do some laundry, Pour some wine to wind down and watch some silly show on Netflix with my hubby. A year or two later we added a baby girl to the mix (and lost our dog).
It might not feel like a whole lot of stress because there was nothing really catastrophic going on at work or at home. It’s all just life right?
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
Stressors Can Be Small
What I didn’t realize was that these activities can wear a body down. It’s the little consistent stressors that add up over time. The rushing around, taking care of everyone else, being responsible for other people’s deliverables and domestic duties.
But it’s more than that. These are all stress based activities that activate a stress response in your body.
- Loud noises of the city
- Exhaust from the ferry (or cars or buses)
- Small arguments
- Getting the kiddo ready for daycare and bed
- Gut issues
- Waking up to an alarm
- Getting stuck in traffic
If these are all stress based activities, then, what are examples of more calming daily activities?
- Routines and rhythms
- Realistic expectations
- Mindset “It will pass”
- Periodization with work and family
- Knowing that the journey always continues
Rest and Repair Mode
The challenge is that every day can feel like “Groundhog Day” right? So how the heck to we change our routines or mindset or just get back into some sort of equilibrium?
This is where the challenge lies. Because, if you’ve been in a state of chronic stress for along time then you need to not just rebalance your body but have more rest/repair activities than stressful activities until you’re responding easily to stress again.
Here are some of my favorite ways to add more rest/repair activities into my day, week and month.
- Massage, reiki or acupuncture
- Meditation
- Time management (schedule less things each day)
- Spa
- Getting out into nature
- Gentle movement like Hatha Yoga
- Working on a hobby
- Long weekend trips with my family
- Disconnecting from news and TV
- Listening to calming or happy music
- Reading a fun (not too exciting) book
- Sauna
- 8 hours of sleep
Your list could be completely different but your goal should be to do more calming daily activities AND rest/repair activities in your day than stressful activities.
Supplements for Mental Clarity and Reduce Stress Response
If you’ve been in a state of stress for along time, then to have a fair fight at climbing out of this chronic state you may want to try some supplements for 6 to 12 weeks until you can integrate these habits into your daily life effectively.
For winding down during the day so you can sleep, using a supplement to soothe your adrenal system is often helpful. I love Adrenal Soothe for this.
If you feel like you need more energy and mental clarity in the day then using something to give you energy like Adrenal (Life) Energy Support will help you get your day moving without any stimulants.
If you’d like to learn more about how to get your body and mind back into equilibrium for more energy, mental clarity and better sleep, set up a free chat with me. Use my booking link here. Chat with you soon!
