How to manage 'Stress Management'

Well, that’s a sexy headline for you, hey, but then how else do you talk about how to manage stress?

Hi, it’s Danielle Morgan, Head Business & Wellbeing Coach here @hellodoppler it seems the whole world is stressed.

I don’t often talk about this topic because the more often I see the word 'stress' it makes me feel small and incapable. Who wants to feel like that if you can avoid it? Like many things that we want to run in the opposite direction of, it turns out to be important. Life and death kind of important. It’s one of those difficult things to spot when you are permanently pumped with hormones and adrenaline, it was only after I stopped drinking and smoking that I noticed I was feeling this weird buzzy feeling that seemed to be as ever-present as breathing. I thought for ages that was how the body worked until I took up meditation, after a few years I started to notice the odd day when my body didn’t feel like fizzy sherbert and I thought wow what’s this feeling? How did I do that? It was delicious and short-lived because my little monkey brain wanted to have a look at Facebook again or eat a biscuit, then write a blog, then create a new brand of toothpaste, then back to Facebook. As a long term sufferer of psoriasis I had been a little aware that my skin was triggered by intense periods of stress but it still hadn’t really hit home until one day I thought…

Enough.

I realised I had been putting myself into stressful situations and not really taking care to think about those consequences because I wanted to do everything all at once. There is also a very common misconception that says in order to run a business we must be up to our eyeballs in stress to get everything done. It’s outmoded matcho approach but it takes a long time to break the habit. Here are a few tips that might be useful along the way to a new way of working, I have made some of my own and borrowed a few.

A basic guide to stress management

1) No hacks, I’m sorry it’s disappointing I know but it takes time to build new habits, break old ones and build a healthier life. This is why most people don’t bother but if you accept this simple truth it will be an easier, kinder process.

2) 10 minutes meditation a day, if you do one thing differently I recommend mindful meditation for 10 mins a day, it is much better experienced rather than explained so give it a go. I am a big fan of Headspace.

3) Walk between calls, meetings, anytime you get the chance. Get up and move about, this stimulates the right side of your brain and will help center your mind from busy left-brain thinking.

4) Humour - take time to find the funny side in things, laughter reduces stress dramatically. Hang around with someone you find hilarious or silly they are good people to have in your life.

5) Get a house plant, call it ‘Brain’ and nurture it, it’s a wonderful feeling to keep something alive. Connecting with something that requires your input to survive will give you a new perspective and a physical way of understanding our own nature.

So there you have it, problem solved right? Well no not quite but it’s a really good start. Presumably if you’re reading this you already care so you’re in the right place.