The toughest battles are fought in the mind
BIBIBOP is all about well-being. However, well-being doesn’t stop with physical health – mental health is a seriously important component of one’s wholistic well-being. So often, a force called stress can creep into our lives and compromise our well-being and begin to take a toll on our mental health.
First off, what is stress really? The Mental Health Foundation says, “At the most basic level, stress is our body’s response to pressures from a situation or life event. What contributes to stress can vary hugely from person to person and differs according to our social and economic circumstances, the environment we live in and our genetic makeup. Some common features of things that can make us feel stress include experiencing something new or unexpected, something that threatens your feeling of self, or feeling you have little control over a situation.”
Everyone deals with stress differently, and what may be stress inducing for one person, might be extremely manageable for another. While stress sources vary greatly from person to person, the methods and tactics in overcoming stress is actually more consistent across different types of people than you might think. As stress is a biological response to pressure, there are tried and true methods of dealing with stress by producing the hormones that help conquer the negative feelings associated with stress. Here are a few ways you can begin to proactively chip away at the stress in your life:
1. Identify the cause and root of the stress. This will help you in forming an actionable plan that can take on the stress where it is really brewing. Success begins with a well thought-out plan.
2. Review your lifestyle. Are you taking on too much? Living life too “quickly”? Perhaps missing what is truly important in your life? Evaluation of your day-to-day life can help uncover hard-to-see areas of stress.
3. Build supportive relationships. Finding close friends or family who can offer help and practical advice can support you in managing stress. Joining a club, enrolling on a course, or volunteering can all be good ways of expanding your social networks and encourage you to do something different.
4. Consuming healthy options. What you put into your body directly influences your well-being! Feelings of well-being can be protected and ensured by cultivating a diet that is healthy and by avoiding options that are connected to physical regression.
5. Exercise! Your physical & mental are closely tied with one another… because your brain is part of your body! Running, lifting, biking, swimming, walking and other physical activities can provide a natural ‘mood boost’ through the production of endorphins. Exercising can also help boost your self-esteem with improved physical health and appearance.
6. Taking time out. Giving yourself dedicated blocks of time for self care can help you feel prioritized in a situation where you might feel ignored, under appreciated or stressed. Take time out of your daily or weekly schedule to do something you love!
7. Be mindful. Taking time to sit and think – whether it be on your drive home from work, or a dedicated meditation moment is critical to ease up the busy mind.
8. Good sleep. You can’t go the distance without enough fuel in the tank. Sleep is necessary for a healthy and successful lifestyle. Trade the extra episode of the show you like for what your body is begging for…. sleep.
9. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep life in perspective and your current stresses in check. Life is a journey with ups and downs all about. It’s important to not expect perfection, and to address the problem effectively and intentionally when it is identified.
Utilizing these tactics can help you overcome the stress in your life in a way that is healthy and effective. Take care always!
