It can be quite uncomfortable being stressed out all day. You spend every day struggling to be as productive as possible for others, draining every ounce of your battery to accomplish a myriad of daily duties, ending each night in exhaustion and frustration. You struggle to get the kids up and ready, feed the pets, drop the children off at school, go to work, respond to a thousand emails and attend twenty meetings. You skip lunch most days or eat at your desk because the boss has piled another load of duties on you. Then back home, you cook, clean, fuss and fight about dinner and showers and bedtimes. The list goes on and on, and simply reading this description may have increased your anxiety.

Allow me to introduce the concept of self-care, which is becoming an increasingly popular phrase as more people understand the impact of mental and emotional health throughout our daily lives. The purpose of self-care is to protect your well-being and happiness, along with recharging your battery so you can get through the rest of your day with resiliency, rejuvenation, and efficiency. Self-care is defined differently for everyone, but the concept is simple: recognize and release the stress, find your peace, and relax.

In the heat of a stressful moment, you want to be calm and collected, but quickly you find yourself seeing red. Believe it or not, there are approaches that can help you avoid exploding. You may recognize you have done a few of these techniques without awareness. After learning these strategies, you will develop greater self-awareness and more control over how you react to stressful moments. You will also be more intentional with recharging your battery to complete the day so you can feel less drained than before.

Walk Away for a Moment

Changing your environment can allow your brain to decrease overwhelming stimuli, become conscious of the emotion you are stuck in, recognize a different perspective, and just take a breath. Do a little self-talk or fuss to yourself to release that emotion. When working in restaurants, employees knew that the soundproof refrigerated cooler was where you could go to scream, cry, cuss, and do whatever else it took to release your frustration. After leaving the cooler, you would return to your tables with the biggest smile on your face, feeling completely decompressed. Sometimes the simple act of stepping away from a situation, even for sixty seconds, can make all the difference in how you respond.

Be Aware of What You Sense

We learned about our five senses in elementary school, yet becoming over-stimulated pertains to an overload of the senses, both consciously and unconsciously. Even things you are not paying attention to, your brain still registers. For example, going to the grocery store can be overstimulating due to the sounds of registers dinging, children playing in the aisles, announcements over the intercom, and doors opening and closing. You may notice crowded aisles, the abundance of products to choose from, and the fluorescent lighting. You are touching the handle on carts, grabbing products off the shelf, and your shoes may not be comfortable. People may be bumping into you. You might smell lingering scented candles, the scent of people passing by, and the cooking samples being marketed. You could taste your gum or candy, try a few samples being given away, and sometimes your brain can taste some of the more lurid smells you encounter. For some individuals, that is way too many stimuli at one time. For others, it is exciting and they can navigate it all day long. Now that we are older, we put little thought into the senses, yet they can control our emotions in profound ways.

The 5-4-3-2-1 Technique

When feeling overwhelmed and needing to ground yourself, or minimize what you are sensing, try this technique. First, name five blue things you can see. Now close your eyes for a minute and name four things you can physically feel, such as the texture of your clothing or the temperature of the air. Next, name three things you can hear in your environment. Then name two things you can smell, and finally name one thing you can taste. This exercise can minimize what you are allowing your brain to process so you can focus on what is truly important. This is a distraction tactic to get yourself out of your head and back into your body, grounding you in the present moment rather than spiraling into anxiety about the past or future.

Breathing Technique

Breathing at a natural pace can help decrease panic or relieve stress during anxious moments. The oxygen regulates bodily functions such as chest pain, sweating, hyperventilation, and rapid heart rate. There are dozens of ways to regulate your breathing, including breathing in for five seconds, holding for three seconds, and exhaling for five seconds. Finding a breathing technique that works for you and practicing it regularly can make a significant difference in how you handle stressful situations when they arise.

Gratitude and Self-Appreciation

First and foremost, give yourself grace. At times, just thanking yourself for the things you can or have accomplished is highly impactful in producing a positive mindset. Honestly, how much time do you spend having thoughts about your problems while driving or waiting in line? Replacing negative thoughts with more uplifting self-appreciations allows you to recognize your strengths, accomplishments, resilience, and competence. You are not being cocky by doing this; you are fueling your confidence. You can thank yourself for already doing the laundry before everyone got up this morning, or appreciate that you worked on homework with your child before the rest of the kids got home from school, resulting in one less thing to worry about later. Being grateful for things that have not happened is also a good way to show gratitude, such as appreciating that you slowed down so you did not hit the dog or recognizing that if you had taken a certain appointment, your day would have been all messed up. There is a positive and a negative perspective in every situation. The biggest takeaway here is the importance of self-appreciation and grace.

Exercise and Getting Back in Tune with Your Body

The first thing many people think of when considering exercise is adrenaline, which is also the source of anxiety. As soon as tragedy hits, our body becomes consumed with adrenaline. Your brain is naturally wired to imagine the worst outcome, and physically preparing to either fight, freeze, or flee. Physical activity releases stress hormones, specifically cortisol and adrenaline, from the body. Alongside the reduction of these hormones, exercise also increases endorphins which produce natural pain killers and mood elevators. While exercise is certainly challenging, constantly being stressed out is ultimately tougher on your body and mind in the long run. Finding physical activities you enjoy and can sustain will help you manage stress more effectively over time.

Remember that self-care is not a luxury but a necessity for maintaining your mental and emotional health. By incorporating these techniques into your daily routine, you can learn to manage stress more effectively, protect your well-being, and approach each day with renewed energy and perspective. The investment you make in yourself through self-care practices will pay dividends in improved mood, better relationships, and greater overall life satisfaction.