Stress Less
April is STRESS AWARENESS MONTH and ladies… we need to give ourselves a break going forward. It’s true that there is a such thing as a healthy amount of stress. However, although it will be there inevitably, we still do not want it to take over our minds and bodies. With that said, this is your reminder to be aware of your stressors & start learning how to manage/limit them.
Women are winning when it comes to stress (and not in a good way). Meaning, we tend to stress more than men. Studies even show that, for example, men can cut stress off. When men leave work, they can departmentalize their stressors (ex. leave their worries about work at the job until they return). But as women, we hold onto our stress (making checklists & whatnots). And to top it all off, we also tend to put everyones needs and wants ahead of our own. But there is a solution to this…
Prioritize yourself! That means, don’t wake up and scroll. Wake up & workout. Wake up & meditate. Whatever fuels you! Wake up & drink your water. Wake up and pray. Start your day off right. Making time for yourself between work and life is hard, but it is a must. Scheduling in breaks throughout your day is also another game-changer in managing stress. Even if it is a short 10 minutes… take that time for yourself. You could spend those 10 minutes reading or dancing or journaling or meditating, etc.
I am guilty of this too, but I often catch myself now that I am aware of it… that scrolling! Scrolling instagram and/or Facebook is not a break! It is not taking time for yourself! It is a distraction (just as television). And although there is a time and place for it, we are talking about reducing/managing stress here and that is just NOT a way to do it. Actually, it is adding to your stress. It’s overstimulating you and taking away from your peace. Sure it’s a quick dopamine hit, but it does absolutely nothing to release stress overall. So do yourself a favor and consider a real break… one that relaxes your mind and your nervous system. Because ladies, we deserve it. Too much stress leads to burnout, which leads to overwhelm, which leads to fatigue and so on. So let’s nip that stress in the bud and take it out of our lives before it takes us out!