During my final year living in Toronto I was working full time with a Marketing Agency and taking night classes studying nutrition. Needless to say, it was an extremely stressful time in my life. Not to mention attempting to fit a social life in the mix. It was very overwhelming. After a recent class, a student asked what I do to help with personal anxiety and stress. I didn’t realize how many little things I did to keep myself grounded during that crazy time in my life. These are things that I continue to implement today.
The most important thing to remember is that we each handle anxiety and stress differently. The scary part about it is how everything is interconnected within our bodies. So although the stress you are experiencing stems from workload, worry or unhappiness, it appears in other places in our bodies. Below are some symptoms and warning signs of anxiety and stress:
- Headache
- Shallow breathing
- Weight on chest
- Irritability
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Difficulty concentrating
- Racing heart
- Muscle tension
This list is just scraping the surface of different ways that anxiety and stress can manifest itself. Recognizing that you are feeling overwhelmed and your “symptoms” is the first step. The second step is to find what works for you to help alleviate these symptoms and calm your mind and body.
Deep breathing. One day driving home from work, I realized that I was barely breathing, only using the upper part of my lungs. After noticing the shallow breath, I soon realized that it was a common habit I had that came with my anxiety. From that day on, I made a point of taking deep breaths, allowing my lungs to expand, pushing the diaphragm and belly out. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to bring myself down from a high stress day and prepare for evening studying, by simply taking a few deep breaths on the drive home.
A cup of tea. There is something about the experience of drinking a cup of tea that helps to sooth the mind. The aroma and warmth of the experience calms the body and mind.
Journaling. When we allow ourselves to write out thoughts, it gives us the opportunity to express our true feelings in the situation. It is a way of getting our thoughts out to the Universe so our mind no longer needs to focus on the situation.
Light a candle. By dimming the lights and lighting a candle, we are able to create a calm environment to find relaxation in. I used a lot of aromatherapy during the hectic time in my life and was particularly attracted to scents that I later learned were all associated with calming the mind and body. Some of my favourites include lavender, ylang ylang, orange and chamomile.
Take a walk. There is something about getting fresh air, moving your body and tuning into your favourite jams. The great thing about a playlist is that you can pick/create one that is appropriate for your mood. Walking outside we connect with nature, get fresh air, vitamin D and promote circulation that supports relieving tension in the body.
Magnesium. During particularly overwhelming times, when my entire body felt exhausted and tense, I would take a magnesium supplement that helps with relaxing muscles and calming the body.
Yes, there was more than one Saturday night during that time in my life when I could be found getting home from a walk, putting the kettle on, burning aromatherapy and sitting down to write in my journal. This was my way of coping with that part of my life and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow during that tough time. And yes, can still be found simultaneously doing each of those things.
The most important thing when it comes to anxiety and stress is to find what works for you. If we are experiencing anxiety and stress, we are not able to fully show up in the moment and therefore not able to give our best selves in work or to our family. Take care of yourself during the tough times in whatever way feels right to you.
