Dealing with stress
The Canalside Life Coach Guide to Dealing with stress
Identify your stress triggers
A stressor is an event or situation that causes a person to feel stressed. These can be internal or external, and vary in type, intesnsity and duration. What is stressful for one person may not be for another.
Indeed, this also can change as we encounter new challenges and changes in our lives, whether viewed as "positive" or not and whether anticipated or not. These are YOUR feelings.
Be aware of the impact of transitions - How to Navigate a Life Transition at any age
You may have been holding onto tension due to a stressor that has become so familiar that you are not aware, for example, an ongoing family demand or an environment with noises or distractions that disturbs your sleep or day to day peace.
To help you understand the stressors impacting on you at the moment:
Make a list in your own way - do a voicenote/write a list/draw a mindmap READ about mind mapping - with one or two words or sentences under each of these headings
-
Feeling too busy (with family commitments, work)
-
Health/bereavement (own health, death of a loved one or pet, any other major loss)
-
Major life changes (Home move, job move, breakdown of an important relationship, family dynamics)
-
Financial
-
Personal characteristics/behaviour (for example, never saying no)
-
Social (societal or family)
-
Environmental (overcrowding, bright lights, extreme temperatures, loud noises)
-
Other sources?
Being outside makes a positive difference to our serotonin level
SIMPLE ways to reduce stress
- be absorbed in nature even for a few moments, listen to music that you love, sing out loud, give yourself a hug or cuddle a pet, PAUSE and breathe....
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
- lots for your exploration - start with 10 minutes and make it easy to fit into your day...do you want to cycle, hit the gym, ride a horse, swim, run...? Or dance around at home, do some yoga? Or relaxing slow stretches and standing balances in the kitchen when you wait for the kettle to boil?
GET CREATIVE
- make something with your hands, write a poem, cook up food you like to eat, play an instrument, splash some colour with a painting app or real paints, have fun daydreaming as you gaze into the distance...
JOURNALLING for stress relief
- some people find the practice of keeping a journal really helpful, but it can end up being an end in itself - try to keep it short and simple during the period that you are learning to deal with stress.
You could use an online app like LogSeq if you write a lot and want to be able to search easily using hashtags - or simple pen and paper if that's your preference (and gives you a break from technology!)
PRIORITIZE SLEEP READ more
Read about my video Self Compassion in Tough Times
COMBAT BURNOUT - Self-compassion is crucial when burnout or exhaustion hits
Relax for a minute and plant a thought that will help you navigate through...
⏭️ set boundaries by saying NO assertively
🌄 reconnect with natural light and sounds 🐦
🪻 use the power of scent ☕
😊 delight in activities of the season
Life coaching for stress management
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU NEED
When you have something to keep you stable, it's feels easier to explore. If you sense you're drifting and are out of balance, a safe space to refocus really helps. You will feel even better when you can move towards a future you are focused on positively.
With Anne as your personal Life Coach you will have a reliable reminder to check in as regularly as you decide - this helps you have a sense of control and achievement.
It can be hard to recognise our own positives, especially when we feel overloaded or just plain exhausted.
For more stress relief ideas WATCH Balancing Life and Work from my Canalside Life Coach YouTube channel
✳️✴️ please SUBSCRIBE - thanks :) Canalside Life Coach YouTube channel
Learn to PAUSE and BREATHE
-
use an APP, for example, Balance has a free option. It focuses on using your breath to calm the nervous system. With different short meditations and mindfulness practices designed for the realities of everyday life, you learn to watch your thoughts and let them go - acknowledging and allowing your mind to reset: Balance.app
-
Even if you feel this is not for you, it's helpful to be aware of your breath and how to use it to calm your mind and body. Some people use relaxing music to help with this - find the right track to help you drift off....
To help you PAUSE:
How to incorporate self-care into your daily life
The Canal Path Knows What You Need
Benefits of spending time in nature for stress
Being outside makes a positive difference to our serotonin level
- in green spaces or anywhere you can in the daylight, even on a dull day - it really makes a difference to serotonin levels, which contribute to our happiness levels.
I go out to a garden and look at the birds or walk along the canalside near me...there is always something different each day, and the natural world is calming.
- if you live in the northern hemisphere and experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), some people find that light therapy can help improve their mood considerably*
WATCH Natures Impact on Mental Health on my Canalside Life Coach YouTube channel
✳️✴️ please SUBSCRIBE - thanks :) Canalside Life Coach YouTube channel
My YouTube channel has a SHORTS Playlist for PAUSING in nature:
If you're noticing more fatigue and a general sense of Blah here are 6 things you can do to reclaim your vitality and reignite your motivation, check out this video
and PLEASE subscribe - thanks :)
IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm always happy to help but I am not a health coach or medically trained to advise on acute stress or severe chronic stress. Please consult a qualified expert if this is your situation.
The Canalside Life Coach will help you boost the positives in life's challenges and changes
What if you could hit PAUSE, reset, and REBOOT your life? DIY Life Coaching with my 4P Framework will show you how to
• Break free from negative patterns
• Reconnect with your values & purpose
• Start building a future you want
📢 READ a Free Sample of DIY Life Coaching with the 4P Framework
Enjoy personal growth as you work through my 4P Framework: Pause, Protect, Pivot and Project
IMPORTANT:
If you feel very low or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 (UK)
The Samaritans provide non-judgemental listening services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year (UK)
Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. If you feel you are in danger of taking your own life, call the emergency services on 999 (UK)
canalsidecoach.app © gives space to reflect, boost the positives and achieve your outcomes
and is a trading name of AJBC Ltd Registered in England
ALL IMAGES free of copyright and sourced with thanks from Centre for Ageing Better, Unsplash and Pixabay
Note * The light produced by a light box may improve SAD by encouraging your brain to increase the production of serotonin. Read A sunlamp for SAD: does it work?
