A supportive environment is crucial for any individual to be able to learn and grow and in order to thrive. We need an environment that is conducive for us to be able to implement and practice our newly acquired knowledge and skills.
No one will be able to read any of this information and be able to perfect it straight away, it requires practice and I believe some mistakes and even failure too. We can never truly learn and grow without the lessons that mistakes and failure teach us, so we need to be brave and appreciate the lessons that only failure can teach.
We need to learn to be patient with ourselves. Growth and the acquisition of new skills can take time. We don’t have to succeed at everything mentioned. We need to extend ourselves some grace and be okay with being less than perfect. Enjoy small victories and celebrate them.
The development and implementation of a healthy routine and exercise program is really beneficial. Find some physical activities you enjoy and incorporate them into your schedule. Make sure to do these exercises regularly and turn it into a long-term commitment. It is up to you to figure out the FIT part, being frequency, intensity and time.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “you are what you eat” and the numerous jokes that go along with that. Your diet really is of great importance, I don’t think I need to say more.
Goal setting is important. Set both long and short-term goals and make sure that they are achievable (SMART) but motivate you towards growth. This can be important to help you assess whether you are where you want to be and where you want to be spending more of your time and energy.
Its important to have strategies in place so when you can see the hurricane of life coming at you, you are able to navigate it and find the eye of the storm. One technique I love to use is a simple breathing technique:
Its great to use all the senses. I like to close my eyes and think of somewhere I feel safe or at peace. In this example I will use the beach. I picture myself sitting in the sand. I can hear and see the clear blue waves crashing on the golden shore and I can feel the coarse sand all around me. For all the Star Wars fans you’re definitely thinking about Anakin right now. Once I feel I am there I inhale slowly through my nose and fill my lungs, I then hold my breathe for 3 seconds before slowly exhaling through my mouth for 5 seconds. When I breathe out, I consciously breathe out all my negative thoughts and feelings. I then repeat this process until I feel calm and in control.
There are other techniques you may want to use such as the progressive muscle relaxation technique or a deep breathing script, and you can find these online. These can be really helpful as our bodies often hold a lot of our stress and we can often find tension in our muscles. I know for me I often hold a lot of tension in my jaw when I am stressed.
Please keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive source of information, and I’d like you to use this only as a steppingstone in your pursuit towards managing and dealing with your stress.
Exodus 33:14 – “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Live it well 