What a start we’ve had to 2020. From devasting bushfires that ravaged through our country to a global pandemic of wide-spread virus and everything else in between.
The large influx of information, media updates and conversation circulating about the events that are unfolding around us can be overwhelming. Not just for us, but for children too.
Stress means different things to different people. What causes stress in one person may be of little concern to another.
We have come up with some tips that can help us with the feelings of being overwhelmed and stress. Although these feelings stem from our thoughts, our bodies can definitely feel a physical impact too.
When we are stressed or overwhelmed, our bodies respond by releasing hormones to overcompensate and cope with that stress. This extra release of hormones can cause muscles to tighten, blood pressure to rise and also cause breathing difficulty for some.
Source – Healthline
To harness the power of our thoughts that lead to feelings of overwhelm and stress, we can follow some simple practices –
- Identify the root cause
Sometimes our thoughts are often associated with negative connotations and we can often find ourselves preparing to expect the worst. Find a moment to really pinpoint what you are thinking about. Investigate your thoughts and keep asking “Why am I feeling this way?” until you uncover the real truth behind your feelings.
- Identify how you release stress
Do you take time to release your stress? For some people it’s by exercising, cooking, taking a bath, meditating – find your unique way to release it and get the angst out of your body.
Unpacking our thoughts and destressing sometimes isn’t as straightforward as expected. Herbal teas and essential oils are a great way to help the relaxation process. One of the most commonly used ingredients in these products are lavender. Lavender is commonly used in aromatherapy and is known for its ability to calm the nervous system.
If you find that stress is effecting your sleep you can read more about ways of managing this here.
- Boundaries
A lot of what we see on social media can be consuming. If you can, try to eliminate or reduce what you read (and especially what you re-read) about all the events happening in the world at the moment. After a certain point, our brains don’t know how to process an overload of information. Try to spend less time on your phone away from news updates. Our phones are attached to us more than ever and can be ever consuming. If you do read articles, it’s always good to consider the news source. Quantity of news isn’t always quality!
If you are continuously affected by the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed, you should seek medical advice. Everyone feels the impacts of stress differently!
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