3 Ways to Regain Your Balance When Life Gets Stressful
We all try our best to prepare for what life brings us, but sometimes we can find ourselves overwhelmed despite every intention to stay stress free. Life happens: cars break down, deadlines are moved, heartbreak, etc. all happen usually when we least expect them. Working towards balancing our lives reduces stress back to healthy levels and allows us to live in greater prosperity. The suffocating feeling of overwhelming stress, worry, and anxiety can cause us to behave in ways that only create a cycle of overbearing stress. But what can we do to gain our peace back and how can we reclaim balance in our lives?
1. Know Thy Stress
Walking around in denial of your stress is very dangerous. Allowing the influence of stress to stay unconscious only allows it to be processed by your psyche in negative ways like addiction, trouble sleeping, constant worry, and many other negative behaviors. However it is only when we take stock of the anxiety and stress influencing us in the present moment, that we are able to process it in healthy ways. There are many ways to check in with yourself to bring your struggles to consciousness, such as meditation, which allows you to let your defenses down and know your experience in the present moment (My Guided Meditation Demo). Other methods to check in with yourself to see what has you frazzled is prayer, therapy, or talking with someone you trust about how you feel. Whatever method you choose, knowing your stress will help you start the process of regaining your balance.
2. Confront Thy Stress
Stress, anxiety, and worry are all fear based, and like all fears they must be confronted before they are reduced. Fears relate to the past and future and the first step to confronting fear is being present, which I detailed above. The next step requires going from a position of fight, flight, or freeze (panic), to maintaining a stance of confidence and preparedness in the face of fear. Reminding yourself that you have survived this long, tapping into your faith and spirituality, garnering support from loved ones, and standing strong in safety are all crucial to combat the harmful effects of overwhelming stress like worrying thoughts, high blood pressure, headaches, toxic self-criticism, and nervous mood. Once you know how your stress is affecting you, stop yourself in those moments and embrace a stance of bravery and security confronting your issues with confidence that you will overcome. And make it exaggerated, even fake it until you make it if need be, because balancing such overwhelming stress will require a strong counter.
3. Release Thy Stress
Finally once you know and confront your stress, RELEASE IT. More specifically, release it in a way that serves your true pure being. I love to increase my workout frequency during stress, but also things like yoga, chatting, creativity, poetry, art, performing, all release stress in a way that serves your higher purpose. Resist urges to release stress in easier ways like addiction (whether to alcohol, a relationship, or even work) that will just perpetuate the overwhelming cycle. Instead find what self-care works best for you to release stress. Regaining your balance in life will flow easily with positive releases of stress through self-care. So sleep well, eat healthy, and work out even if every fiber in you screams that you are too stressed do so. Balance takes work, and you will thank yourself for doing the work shortly after.
Life is not perfect for any us, but regaining your balance in the face of life’s challenges is key to a healthy and peaceful life. Good luck on your venture to regain balance, and I hope you can stress less with these tips.