Newsflash! I’m a real human! But seriously. I am in fact a real human over here. We all experience responsibilities and challenges as part of life. So how do I remain positive and uplifting? Here are my top 5 strategies for handling stress.
1. Boundaries
This one can be a toughie for empaths (or for people who have been previously abused or oppressed). But boundaries are worth learning how to manage.
A banana (as in the fruit) without a peel quickly gets smooshed or disintegrates pretty fast.
Don’t be that banana.
You can still be a hard worker and a caring person while you simultaneously remember that your wellbeing matters too, and if you run yourself into the ground you can’t be there for anyone or contribute in ways that matters.
2. Fatigue is not automatically bad
There’s nothing inherently bad with being tired. Tired means you’re working hard. Sometimes we have to put in a lot of effort to get out something else that we want.
Tired is different from exhaustion.
Exhaustion/depletion happen if you’re not taking care of yourself. Tired just means that you’ve been putting in lots of effort, and now you know that it’s important to take some rest and nourishment.
3.Align your how with your values
We’ve all heard motivational speakers or career counselors talk about doing things that are aligned with what you enjoy. Sure, there’s merit to that.
But sometimes we have to do stuff we don’t feel like doing (often related to work/career).
Even if you do mostly do things you enjoy, there will always be aspects that aren’t fun. What’s more important is that HOW you go about your daily activities and work is aligned with your values.
Soul drainage is limited if your HOW is aligned with what matters to you. Plus it makes you more adaptable.
4.Be intentional to do things that bring joy
Find activities you can easily incorporate regularly into your weekly schedule that DO bring you to life.
Yes, you might need to jealously guard your time, you might need to say no to other things.
But if you consistently have things you do in your week that bring you to life, you’ll be breathing that life back into your whole self (including your energy body as your frequency uplifts).
This also supports the rest/nourishment side of the tired equation.
5.Practice daily gratitude
I talk about gratitude a lot here.
In fact, I’m still doing that daily gratitude challenge on Instagram stories that I started in mid-March, to share and encourage this powerful practice with all you fine folks!
You can scroll through my previous posts for more on why gratitude matters, but the crux is that a practice of gratitude builds perspective.
Perspective helps to keep your mind in a constructive, optimistic place. Not to mention the energetic benefits of a regular gratitude practice.
Those are my 5 strategies to handling stress in a way that allows me to stay happy, healthy, and successful in delivering on all my responsibilities to others and myself. What are your favourite ways to handle stress? Tell me on social media!